Donating blood can save lives. The Chair of the College of American Pathologists Transfusion Committee, Dr. Glenn Ramsey, joined Inside South Florida to share more about the importance of giving blood.
“There have been some changes that are important to know. Someone needs blood in the United States every two seconds, but only about 3% of the eligible population actually donates,” says Ramsey. “Some of our blood products have a very short shelf life. It's very important to have a constant supply of blood to meet the needs of our patients.”
Patients with acute conditions and chronic illnesses can benefit from blood transfusions.
“Some people need transfusions on a one-time basis because of surgery, or an accident or childbirth bleeding,” says Ramsey. “Other patients need an ongoing series of transfusion because they're going through cancer treatments or have a blood disease like sickle cell disease, in which they need to be transfused on a lifelong basis.”
For more information, visit AABB.org
This Inside South Florida segment is paid for by College of American Pathologists.
