• Blood cannot be synthetically made—there is no substitute
• 1 in 7 people entering a hospital will need blood
• Every two seconds someone needs blood
• Approximately 41,000 units of blood are used each day in the U.S.
• An estimated 5 million people need blood transfusions each year throughout the U.S.
• In the U.S., approximately 15.7 million units of whole blood and red blood cells are collected annually
• Shortages of blood often occur during the summer and winter holidays
• Premature infants and children undergoing heart surgery or treatment for cancer require blood from donors of all types, especially type O
• Patients with anemia need blood transfusions to increase their oxygen-carrying capacity
• Approximately 100,000 Americans have sickle cell disease. 1 in 365 African-American newborns has sickle cell disease, and 1 in 13 are born with sickle cell trait. Sickle cell disease also affects people of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Latin American, and Indian descent.
• The rarest blood type is the one not on the shelf when it’s needed by the patient
• Cancer, transplant and trauma patients, and people undergoing open-heart surgery may require platelet transfusions to survive
• More than 1.5 million people are diagnosed with a new cancer each year; many of them will need blood during their chemotherapy treatment
• Red blood cells can be stored for up to 42 days
• Platelets have a shelf life of only 7 days
• Only 7% of the U.S. population gives blood
• An average adult has about 10–12 pints of blood in his or her body
• One standard "unit" of blood is equal to 1 pint (about 2 cups) and weighs about 1 pound
• The demand for blood transfusions is growing faster than donations
• Donors with type O negative blood (only 6–7% of people) are universal donors, meaning their blood can be given to people of all blood types
• 45% of people in the U.S. have type O (+/-) blood. This percentage is higher among Hispanics—57%, and among African Americans—51%
• People older than 65 use 50% of all donated blood and the demand for blood and blood products will increase as the population ages
• Severe burn victims can need the platelets from about 20 units of blood during their treatment; donating single, double or triple platelets provides these patients with more of exactly what they need
• The average liver transplant patient needs 40 units of red blood cells, 30 units of platelets, and 25 units of fresh frozen plasma
• People who have been in car accidents and suffered massive blood loss can need transfusions of 50 units or more of red blood cells
• The average bone marrow transplant requires platelets from about 120 donations, and red blood cells from about 20 units of blood
• Red cells are the most needed blood component—approximately 14 million units are transfused every year in the United States
• The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints
• The approximate equivalent of 8 million units of platelets derived from whole blood are transfused in the U.S. every year
• Patients require 3 million units of plasma every year in the U.S.
• AABB estimates that 9.2 million volunteers donate blood each year, 30–31% of whom are first-time donors