The final blood drive of fiscal year 2009-2010 is under way, so make plans to go to the UAB Hospital North Pavilion at some point by Thursday at 7 p.m. to do your part to help reach the UAB and American Red Cross blood partnership goal of 9,501 units. The drive begins at 7 a.m. each day. For more information about giving blood, go to www.givelife.org/.

The partnership reached its goal last year - 8,000 units - with an emergency drive on the final day of the fiscal year. The final total was 8,070 units collected.

UAB and the Red Cross teamed up in 2005 in a unique partnership to address the region's blood supply issues by increasing blood donation while decreasing the amount used at UAB hospital. The hospital undertook a number of measures designed to better manage blood use. Hospital officials estimate that, without the reductions, UAB Hospital would have needed about 45,000 units of blood last year. Instead, the hospital used just 33,000. Officials estimate that blood usage this fiscal year will fall to just over 30,000 units.

"We've really come a long way," said Marisa Marques, M.D., director of blood-transfusion services. "We have nurse champions in every unit who spearhead our efforts to better manage our blood resources. We have physicians who have embraced the changes and led the way by example. The end result is better care for our patients and a more stable blood supply for those who need it."

Marques said how blood is used in the medical setting had changed very little in more than 50 years. For example, medical dogma - preached in medical school since 1949 - said that if a patient's hemoglobin level dropped to 10, he or she should be given two units of blood.  But recent studies have shown that was not necessarily in the patient's best interest.

"Transfused blood is not the same as your own blood," said Donna Salzman, M.D., co-chair of the UAB Blood Utilization and Management Committee along with Marques. "There can be toxic effects from blood transfusions, and many studies have shown that keeping hemoglobin levels between 7 and 9 produced better outcomes. Now we transfuse only when a patient's hemoglobin level drops to 7, and then we only give one unit at a time, not two, as was the standard."

There can be a number of adverse effects from blood transfusion. Some patients can have an immune response to transfused blood. Circulatory overload - too much blood - can hinder oxygen exchange in the lungs. And substances in donated blood can trigger allergies in recipients.

Another place to reduce use was in blood draws for medical tests. The typical ICU patient would give about 70cc a day for testing, and that's about one-third of a unit. Three days in an ICU at that rate and a patient is becoming anemic.

"We changed our practices on blood draws - using smaller tubes, eliminating waste and reducing the number of blood draws," said Salzman. "Now an average ICU patient only loses about 39cc per day to blood draws, a significant reduction." 

Donors are eligible for prizes including UAB, University of Alabama and Auburn University gift baskets, football tickets, an iPad and an autographed photograph of Nick Saban. Free parking is available in the Fifth Avenue.

For more information about giving blood, go to www.givelife.org/.