Donated blood saves lives

ByRobertHammer MHS Communications

In recognition of National Blood Donor month in January the Armed Services Blood ProgramOpens ASBP reminds the military community about the importance of donating blood.

“Blood is a critical tool to save lives and the need for blood is constant, from the patient undergoing emergency surgery to the person receiving treatment at a militarytreatmentfacilitytoourwarfightersfar forward,” said ASBP Division Chief Navy Capt. Leslie Riggs “A steady and ready supplyofqualitybloodproductswillalways be needed.”

Riggsnotedthatduringtheholidaysand winter months, the number of donations often decrease, with things like vacations, illnesses, and weather changes hindering people from giving blood. “The military health care system needs many units of blood every day. The ASBP has a mission to meet that need globally whenever, and wherever needed, Riggs said.

When the need arises, the ASBP will coordinate additional blood donation events, including large-scale blood drives thatelevatethemessageoftheimportance of donating blood.

“An adage within the industry is ‘the most-needed type is the one not on the shelf’;fullystockedandreadysupplyisultimatelywhatisneededandalwaystheASBP goal, regardless of type,” explained Riggs.

HeaddedthatdonorswithTypeOblood are considered ‘universal blood donors’ while those with Type AB are considered ‘universal donors’ for platelet donations These donations can be used for any type of recipient in certain situations, or when treatment facilities are low on other blood types

Establishedover70 years ago as theofficialbloodprogramoftheU.S.military,“the ASBP focuses on equipping the warfighter with lifesaving blood products needed on the battlefield as well as in military treatment facilities The ASBP mission is to providequalitybloodproductsandsupport for military health care operations worldwide,” Riggs said.

Besides collecting donations the ASBP alsotests,stores,transportsanddistributes blood worldwide There are over 20 ASBP blood donor centersDownload the Blood Centers document stateside and overseas Each of the services operates multiple blood donor centers, with many donor centers traveling to conduct mobile drives intheirsurroundingareasorfurtheroutfor large-scale blood drives

While ASBP blood recipients are most oftenthoughtofasservicemembersinjured in the line of duty, the ASBP also provides blood for service members and their familiesbackhomeandinmilitaryhospitalsand clinics around the globe

According to Riggs, tens of thousands of individuals donate blood to the ASBP each year many of whom are repeat donors Despite the intention of wanting to donate blood, sometimes an individual can be deferred for several reasons, but they can often help in other ways

“Thereareseveralwaystohelpsavelives with the ASBP, even if you are ineligible to donateatthistime,”saidRiggs,addingthat ifanindividualisineligible theycancheck backlater “Mostdeferralsareoftentemporary and have set timeframes.”

“Youcanalsohelpcoordinateadrivewith your unit or military community group or volunteeratanASBPblooddrivenearyou. Youcanalsohelpspreadthewordaboutthe program and our mission, and encourage others to donate by engaging and following the ASBP on its social media channels: Facebook: @militarybloodOpens Military Blood Facebook page twitter: @militaryblood Opens Military Blood Twitter, and Instagram: @usmilitarybloodOpens US Blood Instagram,” Riggs said.

The ASBP is one of four organizations, including the American Red Cross, America’s Blood Centers, and the Blood Centers ofAmerica,thatensurethenationhasasafe and potent blood supply The four agenciescollaborateintimesofneedandduring emergencies “We work together during humanitarian efforts, on emergency task forces, and other connections,” said Riggs “However,theASBPistheofficialandonly blood program of the military, and it is not affiliated with other civilian collection agencies.”

If a service or family member is interested in learning more about or donating blood, Riggs suggested they visit the ASBP website at www.militaryblood.dod.mil.

ByJanetA.Aker MHS Communications

Hi Doc: Lots of people drink over the holidays, but I think my friend may be overdoing it I suspect she has an alcohol problem because she sometimes doesn’t remember what happened the night before when she was drinking She has said herself that she might have an issue with drinking. What is considered heavy drinking versus normal drinking and where can she go for help?

Cpl. Red Merlot

Dear Cpl. Merlot, I’vereachedouttoanexperttoansweryour questions:Dr JohnShehan,apsychiatristand head of the Addiction Medicine Intensive Outpatient Program at the U.S. Army Medical Center Darnall-HoodOpens TRICARE mil at Fort Hood in Texas. Here’s what Dr Shehan said:

Thanks for asking a question that I frequently get: How do you define having a goodtimeversusriskydrinking?

I’vediscussedtheeffectsalcoholcanhave on your body and how easily it can impair youOpensHealth.milinthisforumbefore.

First of all, it’s important to realize it’s tricky to identify an alcohol use disorder in yourbattlebuddy—that’swhentheyoveruse alcoholtothepointofbeingdependentonit

Moreover,itisveryimportanttocatchan alcoholusedisorderearlyonbecause itcan causerelationshipproblems legalproblems and long-term health issues Also people who drink can be at risk for sexual assaults orforfamilyissues

A 2018 Department of Defense survey found that nearly 10% of service members were categorized as heavy drinkers, and 6.2% reported one or more serious consequencesfromtheirdrinking

Alcoholusedisorderisverycommon,but identification can be difficult because it is hard to tease out problem drinking from havingfun.

Knowinglimitsareanimportantfirststep foryourfriendandforeveryonewhodrinks

Government guidelines recommend not drinking more than 14 alcoholic drinks in a weekformenandnomorethanfourdrinks inasitting

For women and men over 65 it’s seven drinks in a week, or no more than three drinks in a sitting because they’re more affectedbyalcoholfromahealthstandpoint.

People who exceed these limits are consideredheavydrinkers

Binge drinkingOpens Health.mil is defined as five or more alcoholic drinks for males or four or more alcoholic drinks for femalesatthesametimeorwithinacouple of hours of each other on at least one day in thepastmonth.

These guidelines are in place because if you drink more than this on a regular basis youcancauseseriousphysicalharmtoyour bodyandbeatriskofdevelopingalcoholuse

Disorder

Even though alcohol is legal, it is a highly toxic substance I have seen young soldiers withseriousliver heart,andstomachproblemsthatarelife-threatening allfromdrinking too much alcohol.In addition, alcohol can affect your cognitive skills and impact yournervoussystem

Basically,thinkofalcoholasapoison,one that can kill you quickly or over time Alcoholisthethirdleadingcauseofpreventable death in the United States and contributes toover60differentdiseases

TaketheAudit-CQuestionnaireif You’re Worried

The 3-question AUDIT-COpens NIH questionnaire is a quick way to know if you might be at risk of having an alcohol use disorder

At the end of the day, you may be helping yourfriendgetherlifeontherighttrack

Cpl. Merlot, I hope Dr Shehan’s answers have helped you decide on next steps with your friend You are being a good buddy and we wish you both well As the doc says, “Happy holidays and remind your friend that stopping drinking alcohol is the first step in a successful military career.”