Blood banks, hospitals in need of platelet donations

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- Medical staff are urging an increase in donations amid a platelet shortage.

According to the Community Blood Center, platelets are very fragile, short-lived blood cells, essential for normal blood clotting.

Platelets must be transfused within seven days of donation, and are always needed in hospitals.

Chelsey Smith, senior director of public relations at the Community Blood Center, said the reason for the shortage is due to a decrease in donor turnout across the country since COVID-19.

"So following the pandemic, what we saw were fewer high school and college blood donors being held, fewer workplace blood drives being held," she said.

Donating platelets is a much longer process than donating blood. The blood is pulled out, put into a centrifuge then the blood is separated from the platelets.

At the end of the process, blood cells are given back and the platelets are kept by the donation center.

"So when it comes to traumas where people are bleeding out or oftentimes they'll need platelets in order to help their blood clot, additionally, cancer patients actually represent about a quarter of the blood supply is used to treat cancer patients," Smith said

Blood and platelet shortages can go hand in hand. When blood donations decline, platelet donations also decline. Smith said the platelet and blood shortage can force hospitals to make difficult decisions.

"This could be postponing elective surgeries," she said. "It could delay some cancer treatments or treatments for sickle cell patients who rely heavily on blood products. It could also strain trauma and obstetric care. Overall, we work very diligently to maintain the blood supply in such a way that patient care isn't impacted."

Smith said donors can provide platelets much more throughout the year than they can red blood cells.

"So you can donate blood every eight weeks up to about six times per year. With platelet donations, you can donate every seven days up to about 24 times per year," she said.

Not every donor can provide platelets, making collection a little more difficult.

"Women who have been pregnant can sometimes produce a virus known as HLA," she said. "It doesn't affect them and it doesn't affect their baby, but it could impact a patient receiving their platelet product. So we do a lot of testing to determine first whether or not this donor is able to donate platelets," she said.

Blood centers and hospitals have outlined procedures in place to reduce the effects of blood shortages.

"So when we are in a significant platelet shortage, if we can't actively in full supply or households with the platelets that they need, we kind of go into that mitigation mode where we determine which patients are the most critical, which patients need these platelets right now. And we make sure those hospitals always have those blood products for them," she said.

Smith said the Community Blood Center is relying on the community to make donations because it provides over 95% of the hospital's needs locally.

"So we have been well below that for this entire year. We have not seen a seven-day blood supply at all during 2025," she said. "That also applies to our platelet supply as well. It's been critically low for much of the year. So if anybody takes anything away from this, we hope that it's that we're relying on you."

Interested donors can visit the Community Blood Center for more information.