AABB24: What New Data Says About the State of the Blood Supply

The status of the blood supply took center stage at the Monday afternoon session, “Preliminary Findings of the 2023 NBCUS and Latest Trends From Blood Collectors.” In this well-attended session, speakers presented on the evolving landscape of blood collection, transfusion and donor demographics in the U.S. The session provided a preview of the latest findings from the National Blood Collection and Utilization Survey (NBCUS), reviewed current blood inventory data and explored challenges posed by shifting blood donor demographics. 

NBCUS: Tracking Blood Collection and Transfusion Trends 

Ian T. Kracalik, PhD, epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, focused on the 2023 National Blood Collection and Utilization Survey (NBCUS). The NBCUS has been conducted since the 1970s to quantify the national supply of blood and blood components and inform policy decisions. In 2023, COVID-19-related questions were removed, while new questions focused on transfusion therapies for sickle cell disease and infectious disease markers. 

Preliminary data from the 2023 survey shows that approximately 11 million blood units were collected while 10.3 million units were transfused, suggesting that declines seen in previous surveys have reached a plateau. The survey also highlighted a shift in collection practices, showing a large increase in the number of pathogen-reduced platelet units and a slight decrease in whole blood collections. Kracalik also noted that the consolidation of community blood centers has stabilized since 2017. 

A Spotlight on 2024 Data  

The session continued with a presentation by Katie Risvold, executive director of Circulate, who shared insights based on 2024 data. Circulate is an automated, centralized repository of blood component collection and inventory information formed by four blood collectors: American Red Cross, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, OneBlood and Vitalant. Its data reflects more than 60% of the U.S. blood supply.  

Risvold shared key insights related to collections, testing, shipments and outdating for 2024. She reported year-over-year increases in the number of available RBCs (+12%) and platelets (+4.5%), and stable availability of plasma.   

Evolving Donor Demographics and Future Challenges 

In the session’s final presentation, Hunter Shaffer, MBA, senior director and strategic advisor at Blood Centers of America (BCA), shifted the focus to the changing demographics of blood donation and the potential long-term implications for the blood supply. 

BCA’s data tool, GOLD, which contains more than 130 million donation records, has revealed significant shifts in donor age and ethnic diversity over the last decade. The average age of donors has increased from 44 in 2013 to 51 in 2023, with a substantial decline in younger donors, a trend exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Efforts to diversify the donor pool have made progress, however, with younger, racially diverse donors representing a growing share of the donor base. However, the rate of first-time donors who do not return has climbed from 35% in 2013 to 55% in 2023, raising concerns about donor retention and the future stability of the blood supply. Shaffer emphasized that the industry needs to evolve strategically to address these challenges and ensure a sustainable blood supply.