KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The MEDIC Regional Blood Center needs donations as it heads into the Fourth of July. A spokesperson said heading into the holiday, they had around five days' worth of blood for hospitals to use.
The blood is used by hospitals to make sure people who either lose blood through incidents like car crashes or have to go through surgery can stay healthy and alive.
"When we get to this time of the year, we see people are traveling and you mentioned fireworks — just different mishaps. It might be an accident that they had at home, or it may be that they are just having a medical emergency and are going to need open-heart surgery and are going to need a blood product for that surgery," said Kristy Altman, the blood center's director of communications.
She said Tuesday the blood center went into the Fourth of July with a low inventory, less than five days of supply. She also said around a day-and-a-half worth of blood is also still being processed.
She said that from the time someone donates blood, it takes at least 72 hours before it is ready to be used at a hospital.
"When we go into this week with less than a five-day supply, I can never guess how much blood a patient is going to need. We don't what these accidents were, we don't know what these patients are undergoing," she said. "One patient we have seen over time uses 20 to 30 units of blood in a serious accident. So, when we're looking at those numbers, that's going to deplete the supply very, very quickly."
Anyone who wants to donate blood should make sure to eat a healthy meal before donating and drink at least two cups of water. They should get a good night's sleep, and make sure to bring their donor card or photo ID.
Appointments to donate blood can be made online, where people can choose the most convenient center to donate. Donors can also schedule and appointment by calling MEDIC Blood Center at 865-524-3074.