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Show HEHFS ElRQSGd TO DBUGfG 0188(1 The Intermountain Red Cross Blood Center, 555 Foothill Drive, Salt Lake City, has recently extended its hours for accepting blood donations to include Saturday mornings between the hours of 9a.m. to 12:30p.m. THE PRIMARY reasons for the additional hours are to support the open-heart surgery sur-gery program and to supplement weekly platelet production. Both of these programs require fresh donations, dona-tions, thus necessitating the Saturday hours. Blood for open-heart surgeries must be as fresh as possible, and no older than five days, so that the oxygen carrying ability of the cells is maintained at a higher level. DONORS ARE recruited by telephone by specific blood type to fill whatever orders the Blood Center received from the hospitals. Ten to twelve pints of blood is the usual amount needed for one such operation. For surgery on Monday, blood drawn on Saturday is desired. Platelets, a component of whole blood and the major clotting factor, must be made within four hours of donation to be effective. Platelets are only good for 72 hours after they are pi.icessed, and musi he made every day to meet (he needs of hospital patients with bleeding problems. Massive amounts of platelets are needed daily. FOR EXAMPLE, a pulient wilh a severe bleeding problem recently needed over 40 units of platelets in one day to control his bleeding. The most common blood types needed for platelet production include types O and A. Platelets Pla-telets are not Rh-specific; lhat is. it doesn't matter if the donors are positive or negative nega-tive lypes. All blood donors, regardless of blood type, are urged to donate on Saturdays to support these programs. For an appointment, or more information, potential donors mav call the Red Cross Blood Center at 5H2-3431. |
