Overview
- On Tuesday the Austrian Red Cross and the DRK-Blutspendedienst Nord-Ost publicly appealed for urgent donations after heat-driven donor shortfalls reduced stocks.
- DRK Nord-Ost said reserves for O Rh‑negative, O Rh‑positive and A Rh‑negative currently last only just over a day, well below the four‑to‑five day buffer transfusion services aim to hold.
- Hospitals continue to need blood constantly — in Austria about one unit is used every 90 seconds — so falling inventories could force limits on elective surgery or strain emergency care.
- Transfusion experts say donating remains safe in high temperatures provided donors feel well, drink 2–3 liters across the day, eat carbohydrate‑rich food, avoid heavy sun and rest at least 30 minutes after giving blood.
- Blood services are asking healthy people to give before holiday travel and are working to rebuild multi‑day reserves because many blood components have short shelf lives and cannot be manufactured.