EDMONTON — While the need for blood is constant, Canadian Blood Services is asking donors with type O- to step up and help.
Robyn Westbrook, territory manager with Canadian Blood Services, said there is not a shortage of O- blood in the banks, but they’re putting out the call to rebuild their stock.
“We use O negative blood for so many more reasons than just people who have O negative blood; any time that time is of the essence and we’re not able to test the blood, brand new babies, and then of course for the O negative donors as well,” Westbrook said from the Edmonton clinic Monday.
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The process of donating blood takes about one hour. Once you register and have your iron level tested, donors answer a few questions before blood is drawn. The physical donation only takes between five and 10 minutes.
One donation equals one unit of blood. Blood and blood products are a critical part of everyday medical care, including surgeries, cancer treatments and other medical procedures. For example, a person going through leukemia treatment can need upwards of eight units of blood per week.
“Every time someone is in a car accident we could use up to 50 units of blood for just one vehicle accident,” Westbrook said. “We really are using this blood and needing it constantly.”
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While walk-ins are welcome, anyone who wishes to donate blood is encouraged to book an appointment online or call 1-888-2-donate. You can also download the GiveBlood app for iPhone or Android.