Red Cross Issues National Appeal for Skin Donors

WASHINGTON —  The American Red Cross has issued a nationwide appeal for skin donations, saying it needs a much larger supply than is now available to prepare for possible skin grafts on soldiers wounded in Operation Desert Storm.

Skin is donated after death, much like other body organs. “We would ask people who want to donate to make their wishes known to other family members,” said Elizabeth Hall, a Red Cross official. “That way, it won’t come as a shock or a surprise to them. We also suggest they call their local tissue bank and ask for a donor card.”

In this country, only about one-sixth of the skin tissue that could be used to treat burn patients is donated, the agency said. “In the event of a continued ground war, these shortages could become much greater,” said Dr. William Thurman, the agency’s director of tissue services.

After blood, skin is the greatest medical need in time of war. It is used for grafts on burn and trauma injuries and on bone during reconstructive surgery. During the Vietnam War, 10% of the wounded were burn victims; of that group, 10% needed skin grafts, the agency said. These grafts required about 10 square feet of skin per person, or the equivalent of the amount of tissue that three donors could provide, the agency said. Severe burn wounds could require 50 square feet or more.

While only about 3% of people who die are eligible organ donors, about 90% are eligible skin donors, Hall said. Skin survives longer than other organs and can be taken as long as 10 hours after death, she said.

The American Red Cross has operated a national network of tissue banks since 1984.