How much blood is donated each year?
According to the National Blood Data Resource Center, U.S. institutions collected more than 15 million units of whole blood and red cells in 2001, the most recent year for which data is available. Blood centers collected 93 percent of the donated units, while hospitals collected seven percent. These donations were made by approximately eight million volunteer blood donors. The American Red Cross collects almost half of these donations across the U.S. In the Missouri-Illinois Region, we rely on approximately 1,200 blood donations every day to safeguard patients in need.
About 130 million units (including approximately 3 million autologous donations) of whole blood are donated all over the world each year. Approximately 50 million volunteer blood donors provide blood for about 27 million patients per year. Typically, each donated unit of blood, referred to as whole blood, is separated into multiple components, such as red blood cells, plasma, platelets, and cryoprecipatitated AHF (antihemophilic factor). Each component generally is transfused to a different individual, each with different needs. Who needs blood? The need for blood is great on any given day, an average of 3.4 million units of red blood cells are needed. Blood transfusions often are needed for trauma victims due to accidents and burns heart surgery, organ transplants, and patients receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or other diseases, such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia. In 1999, 2.650 billion units of blood components were transfused. And with an aging population and advanc
