Tripler, blood
bank team up to
overcome shortage

The blood bank came
through when the hospital's
platelet supply was
nearly depleted

By Helen Altonn
Star-Bulletin

Tripler Army Medical Center and the Blood Bank of Hawaii this week took emergency action to meet a critical shortage of platelets.

Platelets are special cells made in the bone marrow which the body uses to clot blood and heal wounds.

Tripler held a special blood drive Sunday when platelet needs nearly depleted the hospital's supply, said spokeswoman Margaret Tippy.

"Our regular leukemia patients just happened to need platelets, and one sailor (in an accident) needed quite a few platelets," she said.

She said the Blood Bank of Hawaii backed up the hospital over the weekend but couldn't provide more platelets than were needed because it couldn't wipe out its supply.

Judith Young, the blood bank's chief operating officer, said it was delighted to be able to help Tripler.

"We are one community, one family.... We're so happy that we have the good relationship we do with Tripler."

Tripler conducted blood drives Monday at Schofield Barracks and today at Fort Shafter, and another is planned for tomorrow at Pearl Harbor.

"We anticipate coming back to normal levels by Thursday," Tippy said.

Young said the problem with platelets is that they're only good for five days, and a large number of orders since Friday was using up the stock rapidly.

"Usage has been astronomical over the past four days - off the charts."

Platelets were needed for heart surgery, bone marrow transplants, gastrointestinal bleeding, children with leukemia and patients with other medical problems, she said.

The blood bank picked up additional donors the past few days, and the supply was expected to be fine by today, Young said.

But donors are always needed, she said, noting platelets may be donated every seven days while a whole-blood donor must wait 56 days.

Both Tripler and the blood bank's Dillingham Donor Center have machines that separate platelets from blood -- a process called plateletpheresis.

Platelets can be processed from whole blood, but it takes six to 10 donations to produce one dose of platelets. One donation via the plateletpheresis method produces one full dose of platelets.

The machine separates out platelets through a needle in one arm, and the remaining blood is returned to the donor through a needle in the other arm.

It takes about 11/2 to two hours, however, Young said.

Because of that, the blood bank prefers donors who have given whole blood before, she said.

Each bed has a video, and the donor can select and watch a movie, she said.

Department of Defense employees, dependents and veterans interested in giving whole blood or platelets to Tripler may call 433-6195 or 433-6148 for information and appointments.

People who want to make appointments at the blood bank or obtain more information may call 845-9966.