Vanderbilt Medical Center struggles with blood shortages

By BLAKE SUMMERS, CONTENT PRODUCER RYAN BRESLIN, REPORTER

Click here for updates on this story

    NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) — Vanderbilt University Medical Center is struggling with blood shortages and pleads for donations with the American Red Cross.

Over the course of the pandemic, the Red Cross says they have had thousands of cancelled blood drives across the country, but the demand for blood has not stopped.

Vanderbilt University Hospital’s President says not having enough blood impacts their standard of care.

Procedures like transfusions for cancer patients are delayed, blood disorders are treated with non-standard treatments, and some surgical cases have to be deferred if they expect to have a high blood loss.

A blood drive scheduled for today at Vanderbilt is full, but for a list of other opportunities, click here.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.