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Red Cross blood supply running dangerously low By DANI DODGE A grave shortage of blood is prompting a local American Red Cross blood drive. "One surgery could wipe out that remaining stock," said Paul R. Huard, spokesman for the American Red Cross Blood Donor Center. "This is not an exaggeration. This is a matter of life or death for anyone who needs blood." The Red Cross entered its seventh week at Yellow Alert, which means the organization can only supply 72 percent of the blood ordered by hospitals. Additionally, the supply of O-positive blood, the most common type, and O-negative blood, the type that comes from so-called universal donors, was only 44 units on Monday at the central supply center in Portland. A unit is about a pint. The Red Cross normally keeps at least 732 units on hand. "With some trauma accident, or God forbid, a shooting, a patient could use 20 or 30 units easily. Some transplants take 60 units," Huard said. "I'm trying not to be an alarmist, but my managers in Portland have grave concerns. We have been told to make the appeal as frankly as possible." Rogue Valley hospitals get all of the blood they need to treat patients from the Red Cross. In an emergency, though, the Red Cross will get the blood from other regions. "The bottom line is the American Red Cross will find the blood one way or another -- the easiest way is to replenish the stock," Huard said. The Red Cross is trying to solve the problem with blood drives throughout the Pacific Northwest region, which includes Oregon, Washington and southwest Alaska. It hopes to start collecting 1,000 units of blood a day. "We need more donors," Huard said. "We need new donors to increase the supply, and we need established donors to keep their appointments." Huard said while Rogue Valley donors have been generous, other territories in the region have not fared as well. Only 7 percent of people in the region donate blood for the needs of others. In Jackson County, the average is only 4 percent. "Blood is a community resource," Huard said. "What is collected throughout the region is distributed to 84 hospitals throughout the Pacific Northwest, including the hospitals right here in the Rogue Valley." And the supply continually needs to be replenished. "It's not something you can put in a can, and put on a shelf, and leave for five years like apple juice," Huard said. "Most blood collected by the Red Cross is used within 48 hours." To donate blood, call the Red cross at 773-3813 or 1-800-337-8204. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA