Blood collection and transfusion in the United States in 1999.
BACKGROUND
Collection, processing, and transfusion of blood and blood components in the US in 1999 were measured and compared with prior years.


METHODS
Questionnaires were completed by 2040 blood centers and hospitals. Statistical procedures were used to verify the representativeness of the sample and to estimate national totals.


RESULTS
The total US blood supply in 1999 was 13,876,000 units (before testing), 10.1 percent greater than in 1997. It included 13,109,000 allogeneic units, 651,000 autologous units, and 116,000 red cell (RBC) units collected by apheresis. Transfusion of whole blood and RBCs increased by 7.6 percent to 12,389,000 units. Platelet (PLT) transfusions totaled 9,052,000 PLT concentrate equivalent units, of which 66.5 percent were PLTs from apheresis. In comparison with 1997, the total number of PLT units transfused was unchanged, whereas single-donor PLT units transfused increased by 6.7 percent and the transfusion of PLTs from whole blood (PLT concentrates) declined by 10.6 percent (a difference of approximately 400,000 units in each case).


CONCLUSIONS
The margin between transfusion demand and the total allogeneic supply in 1999 was 1,203,000 units, 9.1 percent of the supply. By comparison, the margin in 1997 was 7.2 percent, whereas in 1989 it was 13.8 percent. Similarly, the rate of blood collection in 1999 per 1000 population was 11.9 percent higher than the 1997 rate. During the same period, however, the rate of transfusion per 1000 population increased by 5.8 percent. Risk in the future lies primarily in the increasing demand for RBCs and further shrinkage of the supply-and-demand margin.
Sullivan
Marian T
MT
National Blood Data Resource Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. msullivan@rti.org
Wallace
Edward L
EL
D001771:Blood Banks / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001781:Blood Component Removal / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010949:Plasma; D017713:Platelet Transfusion / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010983:Plateletpheresis / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States