Justin Kreuter, M.D., Comments on Urgent Call for Blood Donors

On Thursday, March 15, Mayo Clinic put out a call to all of its Rochester area staff members for blood donations.

Justin Kreuter, M.D., Medical Director of Mayo’s Blood Donor Program, told the Post-Bulletin, “We try to keep a two-week supply of blood products on hand at any given time. We had a surge in need and used about a week’s worth of blood in 24 hours.”

That surge left the Blood Donor Center with depleted A-positive and O-negative blood as well as platelets.

While those types are specifically low at the moment, Dr. Kreuter added that, “All blood types matter. People shouldn’t stay away, because they think we have enough of their type.”

Dr. Kreuter says the Blood Donor Center has enough blood to cover demand, so this isn’t a crisis. However, they do not have the level of supply to deal with another unexpected surge. A two-week supply equals about 1,000 total units of blood.

The initial call brought crowds of donors to the center on Thursday. If donations keep coming in steadily, the hope is to have the supply replenished possibly as early as Tuesday.

How to Donate
For more information about donating blood in Olmsted County in Rochester, Minnesota, call (507) 284-4475 or email donateblood@mayo.edu. For more information about the Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center, visit the Blood Donor Center blog, the Blood Donor Center website, and/or like the center on Facebook.

Kelley Luedke

Kelley Luedke is a Marketing Channel Manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories. She is the principle editor and writer of Insights and leads social media and direct marketing strategy. Kelley has worked at Mayo Clinic since 2013. Outside of work, you can find Kelley running, traveling, playing with her kitty, and exploring new foods.