Tag: give blood

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Fear of Coronavirus is Severely Impacting the U.S. Blood Supply

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Montvale NJ, The fear of coronavirus is severely impacting the U.S. blood supply as Vitalant and other blood centers across the country are struggling to maintain stable inventories and avoid a critical blood shortage. With school closures and business shutdowns, 25% of Vitalant’s blood collections anticipated in March have disappeared—almost overnight. And that number continues to grow.

“We need people to start turning out in force to give blood,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (the agency that regulates all U.S. blood centers). “We need it not to get to the point that surgeries are having to get canceled.”

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Valley Hospital : Illuminating the Roadmap to Easier Blood Draws

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November 5, 2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  Blood drawing for patients with hard-to-reach veins just became a lot easier and less painful at The Valley Hospital, thanks to a small hand-held device that lights up veins like a roadmap.  With the AccuVein illumination device, the need for multiple needle sticks to try to hit a good vein for a blood draw is a thing of the past.

Hemoglobin in the blood absorbs the infrared light of the device. When the device is held above the skin, veins appear noticeably different than the surrounding tissue. The vasculature shows up clearly on the skin’s surface, aiding in vein location to collect a blood sample or administer IV medications.

When a vein is reached on the first attempt, it is much more comfortable for the patient since they have significantly less pain and swelling, if any, during and after the draw.

“Patients at Valley, especially those with hard-to-reach veins, are happy about our use of the vein illuminator,” said David Rivera, Director of Cardiac Services at Valley Hospital’s Heart & Vascular Institute. “Several patients have commented that they have felt a lot more comfortable during blood draws and IV insertions with the vein illuminator because of not needing multiple sticks. Valley is proud to be the first Bergen County hospital to have a large-scale deployment of the AccuVein device.”

Very often, elderly patients and children have hard-to-reach veins that cause the procedure to be more painful.  Dehydration, obesity, certain medications, and drug abuse can also contribute to having hard-to-reach veins.

Ron Goldman, Chief Executive Officer of AccuVein, said, “The Valley Hospital is a recognized leader in patient safety and their large scale adoption of vein illumination is further evidence of their commitment to excellent patient care.”

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North Jersey blood banks issue urgent call for donors

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North Jersey blood banks issue urgent call for donors

July 7, 2014    Last updated: Monday, July 7, 2014, 1:21 AM
By EMILY MASTERS
STAFF WRITER
The Record

Blood banks in New Jersey are in critical need of donors this summer, especially now, right after the July Fourth weekend.

“The unfortunate reality is hospital patients don’t get to take a holiday. They still need transfusions,” said Anthony Tornetta, the external-communications manager for the American Red Cross Penn-Jersey Blood Services Region. “It is important that the community rallies around that and donates blood.”

Blood supplies traditionally dip to their lowest levels during the summer months and the winter holidays, when schools are closed and many people are on vacation.

But after harsh winter weather kept many potential donors away, this year’s summer shortage has been more sorely felt.

Community Blood Services, which serves 19 hospitals in New Jersey, has been running 4 percent behind in collections since January, said its community affairs director, Karen Ferriday. “We are definitely falling short of our goal” of 250 donations a day, she said.

Ferriday said blood banks see far fewer corporations and community organizations hosting drives over the summer and also face a decline in the number of donors visiting centers, as people take vacations or visit family.

“This is a nationwide shortage,” she said.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/clubs-and-service-organizations/blood-banks-faced-with-shortage-call-for-donors-1.1047166#sthash.pfz1Vj71.dpuf