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- Jun 27, 2017
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The public thinks of the local EMS system as transportation for sick people. But the name of the game is real emergencies- cardiac, strokes, OD's, and trauma. Even with a nearby cardiac suite with a low door-to-balloon time, paramedics can do a whole lot in the field. But dying trauma victims need two things and both in a hurry; an operation, and a blood transfusion. As always, our military showed the way. First was the mobile army surgical hospital (MASH) where the operating suite was placed close to the need. Next were helicopters to speed transport. Lastly was whole transfusions done in the field. The survival results over the decades have been spectacular and lot of this gradually found it's way to our communities.
The latest has been the EMS field use of "low titer O Positive" whole blood transfusions. Today it is used by only 1% of EMS systems nationwide.
Dallas Fire-Rescue EMS can provide first-due blood anywhere in the City in 10 to 15 minutes. In the first year of operation DFR Firefighters gave transfusions to 40 dying patients (shootings, stabbings, post-partum)- 34 survived. Dallas PD thinks they lowered the homicide rate, but it might have been the DFR.
The Texas EMS Alliance got $10 Million as seed money to place blood in every county EMS organization in the State of Texas. So far, 53 counties (out of 254) are up and running. The Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council is the largest operation presently in the country. This covers 22 counties from San Antonio west to the Rio Grande River Valley and consists of more than 70 EMS and helicopter units.
The San Antonio Fire Department blood program started on October, 2018. They store field blood at 1 to 6 degrees Celsius for up to 14 days. After that, unused blood is sent to University Hospital in Northwest San Antonio Level I trauma center for prompt use. They use about 40 units of low titer whole blood every 24 hours. Logistics and accounting are crucial. They have a 2% wastage rate.
The latest has been the EMS field use of "low titer O Positive" whole blood transfusions. Today it is used by only 1% of EMS systems nationwide.
Dallas Fire-Rescue EMS can provide first-due blood anywhere in the City in 10 to 15 minutes. In the first year of operation DFR Firefighters gave transfusions to 40 dying patients (shootings, stabbings, post-partum)- 34 survived. Dallas PD thinks they lowered the homicide rate, but it might have been the DFR.
The Texas EMS Alliance got $10 Million as seed money to place blood in every county EMS organization in the State of Texas. So far, 53 counties (out of 254) are up and running. The Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council is the largest operation presently in the country. This covers 22 counties from San Antonio west to the Rio Grande River Valley and consists of more than 70 EMS and helicopter units.
The San Antonio Fire Department blood program started on October, 2018. They store field blood at 1 to 6 degrees Celsius for up to 14 days. After that, unused blood is sent to University Hospital in Northwest San Antonio Level I trauma center for prompt use. They use about 40 units of low titer whole blood every 24 hours. Logistics and accounting are crucial. They have a 2% wastage rate.