North Carolina Newspapers

Smoke Signals, Wednesday, Oct. 27, 1971—Page Five Tidewater Red Cross Bloodmobile To Visit Campus Tuesday, Nov. 9 Needs Tidewater Bloodmobile Serves Large Area PURPOSES The porposes of the Tidewater Red Cross Blood Program of the American Red Cross are : To meet the blood needs of the patients in the civilian hospitals located in the Red Cross Chapters in eastern Virginia and nor theastern North Carolina which are in this region. To meet the requests for blood from the Federal Hospitals located within the region of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Veterans Administration, and Public Health Service, and to certain designated Veterans Ad ministration Hospitals located outside the region. To meet the blood needs of residents of this region who are hospitalized outside the regional area, providing the hospital concerned will accept Red Cross blood service. To meet the blood needs of the immediate relatives of military service personnel stationed in this region, hospitalized in the United States, providing the hospital concerned will accept Red Cross blood service. To provide blood derivatives such as serum albumin, vaccinia immune globulin, gamma globuUn, fibrinogen, packed red cells, and fresh frozen plasma insofar as these products are available. To cooperate with other Red ■tross Blood Programs in providing a nationwide network for expanded blood collections in the event of civilian disaster or national defense needs. To cooperate with other Red Cross Blood Programs and non Red Cross agencies in nationwide reciprocity in supplying blood. Meeting Needs To meet the blood needs as outlined previously, each Red Cross Chapter must achieve the day’s blood donor quota for each bloodmobile visit. Needs have increased and will continue to do so, due to the discovery of new uses of blood and blood products. However, the needs of individual patients may vary greatly - from a transfusion of one unit of blood to many units. THIS WON’T HURT(?)—Professor William Sowell is pictured at a former visit of the Tidewater Bloodmobile \isit when he donated a pint of blood. The procedure is painless and only requires a short period of time. The Chowan College student body, faculty and staff have been asked to donate blood when the Bloodmobile makes its annual visit to the campus on Tuesday, November 9. IT TAKES ALL TYPES FOR A BLOOD BANK! Out of 100 46 hove O blood donort: HMMniiirtiirtrtttlrtrtiliWII 40 have A blood 10 hove B blood MMimt 4 hove AB blood Of »h*«e, 85 hav« RH-po»l»ive blood; only 15 hovo RH-n«gotiv« blood. Of th»»e: 7 ore O'Negative HMdK 6 ore A*Negotive mutt •nly 1H are B-Negotive AND fhan 1 if AB-Hegotive j Thousands of people donate blood through the Red Cross Blood Program, which makes it pos sible to keep all groups and types generally available for all blood needs of all patients in area hospitals. To assure a full supoly at all times, DONATE REGULARLY. Donating Blood Sharing your blood with someone who needs it is simple, easy, and gratifying. Every consideration is given people who donate blood as “donors are our favorite people”. There are bloodmobile visits on a regular schedule to every Red Cross Chapter and military installation in this region. These bloodmobile visits are staffed by local, trained volunteers, and by professional people from the local community and the Blood Center. The medical and technical phases of the program are supervised by a qualified physician, and nursing and technical personnel have been carefully selected to insure competence. A physician is present at all times during blood donations. He and the nursing staff make sure the donor meets certain qualifications as to medical history, temperature, pulse, hemoglobin and blood pressure for the benefit of the donor and the recipient. In general any person in good health may give blood provided he or she is between the ages of 18 through 66 years, weighs ap proximately 110 pounds or more, has not donated blood within the previous 8 weeks, has not had malaria within the past two years, or does not have a history of viral hepatitis (Jaundice). Donors should eat normally before giving blood, but fatty foods should be avoided or eaten Ughtly. Written consent of a parent is no longer required for donors between theagesofl8and21. Eligibility To Receive Blood The Tidewater Red Cross Blood Program, established September 1949, is one of the few programs providing blood coverage on the basis of patient need or patient residency, as opposed to the strictly “credit” type programs. Eligibility to receive blood is not based on established credits or previous blood donations. Within the Regional Area; As stated under purposes, the Tidewater Red Cross Blood Program supplies the hospitals within the region with blood, and therefore meets the blood needs of everyone hospitalized within the region. Outside the Regional Area: When residents of the regional area and immediate family members of military persons, stationed in this region are hospitalized OUTSIDE the region, every attempt is made to meet their blood needs, provided the hospital concerned will ac cept blood service from a Red Cross Blood Center. Residents or relatives of the patient incurring such “out-of-region” blood obligations should contact their local American Red Cross Chapter and furnish the name and address of the patient, name of hospital and location, so the Blood Center can be notified and take proper action. While the Region is not on a “credit system”, it is requested that those who have received blood through the program “recruit” donors to replenish the supply, so the program can continue to meet the blood needs of all those who are eligible. Directed Donations Residents of the area served by the Tidewater Red Cross Blood Program may make “directed donations” for a non-resident who is hospitalized outside the region. Such donations are accepted as a courtesy service by this Program provided the resulting credits for blood can be transferred through another Red Cross Blood Center or through non-Red Cross agencies. Directed donations may be accepted at the Blood Center and at any Blood-mobile visit. At the time of donation complete in formation must be given, such as: 1. name of patient, 2. home address of patient, 3. name of hospital, 4. address of hospital, 5. relation of patient to persons donating, or relation of patient to person who recruited the donor, and and name and address of person who recruited the donor. The importance of our program is that it gives life-saving blood to all our residents and their departments, whenever they need it, AT NO COST EXCEPT ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS. This is a total coverage area, whereas most others are on some type of credit system, which means one must donate blood to receive blood. READY FOR BLLODMOBILE VISIT—A group of nurses make plans for the annual visit of the Tidewater Red Cross Bloodmobile visit to the Chowan College campus on Tuesday, November 9. Twenty Most Common Excuses 1.“No one has ever asked me to donate blood.” Consider yourself invited. Blood comes only from people. It can’t be manufactured. Your gift could mean life for a sick child, an accident victim, or an elderly person facing surgery. 2. “I gave my blood voluntarily but then Red Cross turned arouna and sold it.” If you gave through Red Cross, you must be mistaken. Red Cross does charge hospitals for part of the expense of collecting, processing, and distributing the blood. Hospitals often pass this charge on to the patient. Red Cross does not sell blood. 3. “Frankly, I’m scared of giving blood.” Nearly everyone feels that way the first time. Donating blood has become a habit with many people. A few regulars have become 15-gallon donors. 4. “My insurance covers the blood I’d need.” Many insurance policies cover the cost of blood and its ad ministration, but dollar bills can’t be transfused. Blood must be available when a patient needs it. 5. “I don’t like Red Cross.” Why not talk it out with us? A Red Cross representative could give you some facts about our services. Blood given through Red Cross is distributed to hospitals. Voluntary donors are needed in every community. We provide the opportunity for you to become a donor. 6. “I already gave this year.” Many donors give three and four times a year. 7. “Other people must be giving enough blood.” The demand for blood and blood products is constantly increasing. The needs of patients must be met by more donors, people like you. 8. “I don’t have any blood to spare.” The average adult has about 10 to 12 pints of blood in his body. Doctors say that healthy persons may give regularly. CHECKING RECORDS—A nurse checks the records of former blood donors in preparation for the Bloodmobile visit to the campus. 9. “I’m too young.” You can become a blood donor when you reach 18. Some states require a parent’s consent if you are under 21. 10. “My blood isn’t the right type.” Every type is the right type. Even rare types are needed all the time. 11. “They wouldn’t want my blood because of the illness I’ve had. If you have some doubts, check with your physician. However, the staff on duty will review your medical history before you make your donation. 12. “I was pressured to give blood before, and I’m not going to donate again.” Some recruiters, keenly aware of the need for blood, may be a little aggressive. Red Cross can’t “pressure” anyone into giv ing blood. Donations are completely voluntary. Many people need the blood that you alone can give. 13. “My blood isn’t rich enough.” A sample of your blood is checked before you donate. 14. “They’ll take too much and I’ll feel weak.” Less than a pint is all that’s taken. Your body manufactures new blood constantly. The volume you give will be replaced within a few hours. After donating, most people go about their usual activities. 15. “I’m afraid of being turned down.” You may be medically deferred for a variety of reasons. If you are temporarily deferred, come back later and try again. 16. “It’s too inconvenient to donate blood.” Red Cross tries to make donating as convenient as possible. Make an appointment for the time and place that’s easiest for you. Donating taKes less than 10 minutes, the entire visit about an hour. Financing 1. By the chapters in the region. Each chapter has its propor tionate share of cost of the regional program. The chapters obtain these necessary funds through their local annual Fund Campaign. 2. The National Organization of the American Red Cross bears a certain share of the cost of the program. 17. “I’m too busy.” If you stop to think of all the good your donating blood can do, we believe you might decide you aren’t too busy after all. 18. “I’m too thin.” If you weigh 110 pounds or more you can be accepted. 19. “I gave once, but when I needed blood, we had to recruit special donors.” Sometimes “special” donors are needed to provide a par ticular blood component for a patient. 20. “I didn’t realize my blood was needed.” It certainly is. Every minute, 10 units of blood are needed in hospitals across the country. This minute, decide to be a blood donor. The medical used of blood are many and varied. Whole blood is used most commonly in surgery and for accident victims. Often it is needed before, during, and after surgery to strengthen the patient and speed recovery. Many accident victims lose large quantities of blood, and tran- i^sions may be required to replace this blood loss. Persons who have been severely burned usually lose plasma and develop anemia. Blood is needed to replace the damaged red cells and the lost plasma protein. In childbirth, a mother may lose a considerable amount of blood. Blood transfusion will replace this loss. Also, an infant may be born with damaged blood, as in the case of the “Rh baby”. Then blood is needed to replace the damaged blood in the child’s circulatory system. Medically, blo^ is used in the treatment of certain diseases to correct blood deficencies, to control excessive bleeding, and combat anemia. In cases of severe shock, blood is lost through the escape of plasma into the tissues. Blood transfusions often replace this lost volume. Whole blood or concentrated red cells can be used for tran sfusion for only 21 days from date of donation. However, from blood over 21 days old valuable blood derivatives are obtained. The Tidewater Red Cross Blood Center also prepares, stores, and distributes fresh frozen plasma for the treatment of people who have hemophilia (Bleeders). Serum albumin is used in an emergency to combat shock until whole blood is available, and to treat certain liver and kidney diseases, Gamma (immune) globulin, commonly referred to as “G.G.,” is used to combat measles and hepatitis and to administer to persons who are unable to manufacture this product sufficiently to prevent them from being susceptible to respiratory and active infections without receiving some of this procuct periodically. Vaccinia immune globulin, commonly referred to as “VIG,” is used in the prevention of smallpox and in the treatment of com plications of smallpox vaccinations. Fibrinogen is used for cardiac and lung surgery and to control hemorrhage in the mother after childbirth. Many medical and surgical situations cannot be treated adequately with stored whole blood or with blood derivatives. Such cases require the im mediate collection of blood for transfusion to the patient. Open- heart surgery, utilizing the heart- lung machine, is a typical situation requiring this special procedure. AREA SERVED The Tidewater Red Cross Blood Program extends 450 miles North to South, and 150 miles East to West and serves the complete Blood needs of its over 3,000,000 residents in Eastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. H CHECKING EQUIPMENT—A Chowan College nursing student checks the equipment which may be used at the Bloodmobile visit.