Blood banks look at the nation's Latino population boom and see an unexpected potential to save thousands of lives: the possibility of more so-called universal blood donors.
It turns out that Latinos are more likely than the average American to have Type O blood, the type blood banks value most because it can be used by numerous patients.
That potential so far is mostly untapped. Now blood banks are beginning major efforts to boost Latino donations, amid concern that the blood supply could face a serious imbalance if population shifts bring more demand for Type O transfusions without a parallel increase in giving.
"It's a great opportunity we have," says Dr. Alexander Indrikovs, blood bank director at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, who outlined the issue at a recent meeting of leading blood bankers.
On the other hand, "It's obvious that if we continue to target only the traditional blood donation group, which has been mostly Caucasian, the imbalance is going to grow larger," he says.
Faced with a tight supply and an aging donor pool, banks have long struggled to increase the nation's overall blood stocks. Although 60% of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood, just 5% does.
More than 34,000 pints of blood are needed every day, and demand is rising annually.
Spot shortages that force hospitals to postpone elective surgeries occur in various cities every year, usually around holidays.
There are four major blood groups: A, B, AB and O. A and B are antigens, markers on blood cells that the immune system can target. Blood labeled "O" lacks those antigens. Blood also is designated as either Rh-positive or Rh-negative.
And though blood banks want donors of all types, Type O-positive blood is especially valuable. It is the most common blood type, which means it's most in demand, and if you have Type O blood, only a Type O transfusion will work for you. If you're accidentally given another type, your immune system would spot the antigens and attack.
However, people with other blood types can receive Type O blood in an emergency. That's why Type O donors are called universal donors and why blood banks make a concerted effort to recruit them, both O-positive and the fairly rare O-negative donors.
About 45% of the U.S. population has Type O blood, a proportion that varies by race and ethnicity. Estimates suggest roughly 37% of whites and 47% of blacks are O-positive.
