Blood banks searching for Type O blood amid emergency shortage: 'We always have a need'

The nation is facing an emergency blood shortage, according to the American Red Cross. 

Extreme heat and recent natural disasters are affecting the blood supply, the nonprofit says. 

Not only is there a shortage of donations across the country, but there is also a specific need for Type O blood, according to Vitalant, an Arizona-based nonprofit that operates blood banks nationwide. 

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To help meet the need, Vitalant is holding more than 50 blood drives this month in parts of Nevada.

"My best friend almost died in a car accident when I was, like, 19 or 20 — so I've seen the power of blood donations," blood donor Nina Duren told Fox News.

Duren has been donating blood a couple of times a year for the last 15 years. 

"It's a life-saving thing I can do that costs me nothing but an hour of my time," she said.

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Another donor, Sheila Macdonell Spiess, is a retired trauma nurse. In the 47 years of her nursing career, she said there has always been a need for blood. 

"People are always in car accidents, stabbings, unfortunately, or gunshot wounds, or [there are] people with leukemia," she told Fox News. 

"We always have a need. It doesn't matter what time of year."

As blood banks across the nation are running low on blood, some are placing an emphasis on one blood type over others.

"Type O is known as a universal donor," said MacDonell Spiess. "So, if you came in, and we needed to give you blood right away … it would be O, because we don't know if you're A or B or AB. So we would give you O, because that's called the universal type."

Vitalant’s Type O supply hit an 18-month low in July. 

Without Type O blood readily available, people in need may be turned away. 

The organization is now working to build up a constant four-day supply. 

"If you just keep lowering the number and lowering the number … that just impacts how many people you can help, and honestly, no doctor wants to have to make that choice of saying you can't be helped today," Mike Doria, communication manager of Vitalant's Southwest division, told Fox News.

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The American Red Cross’ entire inventory has shrunk by 25%, and the supply of donors has not kept up with the need.

"As an example, a trauma victim may require dozens of blood products," Dr. Baia Lasky, American Red Cross' divisional chief medical officer, told Fox News. 

"And studies have demonstrated that every minute of delay in blood products in these situations will increase the risk of death by 5%."

That means having blood available for donation at hospitals is "absolutely critical" to give people a chance of survival after emergencies, she added.

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Blood cannot be stored long-term, which means nonprofits like American Red Cross and Vitalant consistently need donors.