Red alarm level: donations in Austria decrease despite an acute emergency!

Red alarm level: donations in Austria decrease despite an acute emergency!

Bundeskriminalamt, Wien, Österreich - In Austria, blood bearings are still critical. Constant calls to the blood donation are necessary to improve the tense supply situation in the federal states. All federal states are affected and blood donation services urgently appeal to the population of becoming active and donating blood. According to Kleine Zeitung is a vital emergency medication that is indispensable for numerous patients in hospitals.

On Monday morning, over 100 police officers and criminal officers took part in a blood donation campaign in the Federal Criminal Police Office. These promotions are particularly important because around 1,000 blood cannon is needed every day to cover the need for operations, acute emergencies and the care of chronically ill people. The situation has further tightened in the past few months due to new blood donation regulations and amended admission criteria that have been in force since June

problems in the summer months

The summer months represent a special challenge. Many potential donors are on vacation, which leads to a decline in the blood donation. According to previous reports, the blood donation campaigns are often worse in hot weather. After the holiday season, people who have been in risk areas must take a break before they are allowed to donate again.

in 2024 a total of 211,559 Austrians donated blood, which only corresponds to 3.35 % of the person capable of donating. It is particularly striking that only 16 % of the donors come from the age group of 18 to 25 year olds, while the largest group, with 31 %, consists of the age group of 51 to 65 year olds. The age limits for the blood donation extend from healthy people between the ages of 18 and 70, whereby first donors can donate to their 60th birthday.

blood donation and their meaning

blood can only be kept for 42 days and cannot be made artificially. Furthermore, after completing a health check, donors should ensure that they meet the suitability for donations. Around 33,000 of the donors in 2024 were first -time donors, an encouraging sign, but the assessment of donation suitability by various factors such as diseases, allergies, or medication in the population remains important.

The most common form of the blood donation is the thoroughbred donation, in which about 450 ml blood is taken from the arm vein. The entire procedure takes an average of seven minutes. After the donation, the blood is extensively tested. Gesundheits.gv.at turns that every full blood donation creates an erythrocyte concentrate and plasma, which are used for different medical purposes.

The blood donation is not only important for patients, but also for the entire health system. Against this background, it is important that the blood donation services continue to ask for support and active participation in the population.