TEHRAN – Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization (IBTO) has set up “O negative club” joining by O negative blood donors, in cooperation with the Emergency Medical Services, an official with IBTO has said.

In accidents or road crashes, there is seldom enough time to determine the blood type of the patients with a life-threatening hemorrhage, so, the most certain way to save the patient's life is to use universal donor type of O negative, Abbas Sedaqat said, ISNA reported on Saturday.

There is a continuous demand for O negative donors, because, in relative terms, the consumption of emergency blood in hospitals exceeds the number of donors, he added.

“I call on all O negative donors to join the club, since their blood can be received by anyone, regardless of blood type and save the lives of many people,” he stated.

He went on to say that people who decide to become member of the club can visit the official website of the Blood Transfusion Organization and register, accordingly, their information can help us in case of emergencies.

“But given the novelty of the issue, we will implement it gradually so that it can benefit us in a long run, and even we may be able to share the experience with other countries in the future,” he concluded.

In June, Emergency Medical Services director Pir Hossein Kulivand said that helicopter emergency medical service provider plans to transport and transfuse blood on the scene, since some 8 percent of the deaths in road crashes often result from major internal hemorrhage or severe blood loss.

It is typical for medics to either use a saline solution to replace the volume lost–although this does not replace the oxygen-carrying ability of the shed blood– wait for blood supplies to be transported from local hospitals by police or ground ambulances, or transfer the patient to the nearest hospital.

But they all are a time-consuming methodology, potentially complicated by a lack of blood supplies at hospitals, or any number of possible hindrances, from heavy traffic to impassable terrain, therefore, it is necessary for helicopter emergency medical services maintain an independent supply of blood for use during transport.

O negative blood donors, givers not takers

Those with O- can only receive from other O- donors. However, O- blood type is the universal red blood cell donor because their red blood cells can be transfused into any patient, regardless of blood type.

As an O negative blood donor you have a particularly unique opportunity to help people in emergency situations. According to the carterbloodcare.org O negative blood cells are called “universal” meaning they can be transfused to almost any patient in need, and only 6.6% of the population has O negative blood.

 In the event of an emergency, trauma patients and accident victims are given a fighting chance at life due to O negative blood transfusion. You may hear that “O negative blood is the type they carry on the medical helicopters”. This is often the case when there is no time to ask questions.

Additionally, O negative red blood cells are safest for newborn infants with under-developed immune systems. Your commitment to regular and frequent donations is especially important to maintain sufficient supplies for our community. Patients are grateful for your “gift of life”.

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