Plant Explosion Near Baton Rouge Imposes Increased Need for Blood Donations

(Picture of explosion at Williams Olefins from Ryan Meador)

June 14, 2013, 10:30a.m.- By moving blood components from other LifeShare locations, the Baton Rouge LifeShare center now has temporarily replenished the supply available to the hospitals. We are continuing to carefully monitor the supply and work with Baton Rouge General’s blood bank to fulfill their ongoing needs. The LifeShare supply is currently low in O negative and O positive blood, but otherwise stable at the moment. We do expect hospitals to request more blood today. In the coming days, patients will continue to use blood components; this expectation includes significant usage by at least three burn victims of the plant explosion near Geismar.
 
In the Baton Rouge area specifically, increased blood donations have occurred in the last 24 hours. We are asking donors in all of our areas to continue to donate on a regular basis to ensure an adequate supply. It takes at least 24 hours to test and process blood before it may be made available to the patient. It is important that the supply is replenished throughout the area, and donations continue in order to replace what is used on a daily basis. During times of medical emergency, blood that was donated beforehand is the blood that saves those lives. Read full statement. 

SIT SIP SNACK After You Donate!

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