JOHNSTOWN – Last week at one hospital in the Greater Alleghenies Region of the American Red Cross, a patient needing heart bypass surgery received 46 Type O positive red cell products, 12 Type O plasma products and two plateletapheresis products.
A typical adult open heart surgery requires
approximately two to six units of red blood cells, two to four units of plasma and one to 10 units of platelets.
Those figures are staggering when considering that our 100-county region has a one-day supply of O negative, A negative and B negative. O positive is at less than two days’ supply, and the ARC notes that supplies of all blood types are well below the optimal week’s supply.
Blood drives are happening in the area in the coming days.
The Karthaus-Frenchville community is hosting a drive Wednesday at the Karthaus Fire Co. from 1-7 p.m. A drive will be held Friday at 438 Front Place in Clearfield at the fixed site from noon until 6 p.m. Mountain Laurel Nursing and Rehabilitation Center will host a drive from noon until 6 p.m. Friday, and the Goshen community is planning a drive for Saturday at the Goshen United Methodist Church. The drive begins at 9 a.m. and runs until 2 p.m.