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Local hospitals asking community for blood donations amid ‘trauma season’

PITTSBURGH — It may feel like summer outside, but inside the hospitals, doctors said it’s trauma season.

“The weather is nice. The ATVs, the boats, the motorcycles are out and large gatherings of people,” said Dr. Allan Philp, who’s the chief medical officer at Allegheny General Hospital.

With those incidents come an increased need for blood.

“We like to typically ... have this much days of storage of blood and for most ... the year, we’ve been about here,” Philp said.

Philp said the national blood shortage is starting to impact supplies locally. For the 62-hospital regional network that includes AHN and UPMC, the amount of blood in reserve is only about a day’s worth.

“Violent crime and violent injury is up across the country with so many more shootings and stabbings post-COVID era. That’s true here the need is higher and the supply is lower,” Philp said.

While the hospital hasn’t had to cancel surgery yet, Philp said if another Airbnb shooting were to happen, there will not be enough blood locally.

That’s why he’s encouraging people to step up and get out to donate blood to help.

“It’s in the same way of saying, ‘I’m going to support a fundraiser for the local park’ or something for the schools to get a playground. This is a community service in that same way,” Philp said.

While you may not see big signs for major blood drives anymore post pandemic, there is always somewhere nearby that you are able to stop by and donate blood most days out of the week.

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