The Blood Supply

Blood transfusion occurs in all parts of the world, but the availability, quality, and safety of the blood depends on the general status of medical care in that area. In contrast with the worldwide supply, the United States (US) blood supply is provided by many different organizations with different organizational structures and philosophies. The US blood collection system is heterogeneous because blood centers developed for a variety of reasons mostly during the 1940s and 1950s. Most plasma for transfusion is a by-product of whole blood. One of the major issues in blood inventory management is the attitude of blood donors. In the past, blood centers carried out a variety of activities that provided services in addition to the blood components. Organizations and facilities need US Food and Drug Administration licenses for either plasma collection or the manufacture of derivatives from plasma, or both, depending on the activities they conduct.