Puget Sound Blood Center concludes best-ever blood drive at WWU

The Puget Sound Blood Center registered 547 donors during its blood drive on the Western Washington University campus Oct. 19 to 21.

That's an all-time high for WWU, said Prevention and Wellness' Catharine Vader, who has records dating back to 1972. Twenty percent of donors during the drive were first-time donors.

Each weekday, 900 people must donate blood to meet the needs of patients in western Washington hospitals, according to the blood center's Carol Rondello.

The following patients are just a few of the many who have received blood from Puget Sound Blood Center in the past few days. The blood was available for them thanks to blood drives like the one just completed at WWU:

• 17-year-old patient: Trauma. Patient used 20 units red blood cells, 2 units platelets and 16 units plasma.
• 51-year-old patient: Heart transplant. Patient used 20 units red blood cells, 20 units plasma and 4 units platelets.
• 28-year-old patient: Motor vehicle collision. Patient used 12 units red blood cells, 12 units plasma and 2 units platelets.
• 55-year-old patient: Liver transplant. Patient used 62 units red blood cells, 32 units plasma and 10 units platelets.
• 39-year-old patient: Gastrointestinal bleeding. Patient used 19 units red blood cells, 22 units plasma and 6 units platelets.
• 65-year-old patient: Open heart surgery. Patient used 18 units red blood cells, 14 units plasma and 4 units platelets.