Birmingham trauma patients getting whole blood on EMS calls; eleven lives saved

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — From car crashes to shootings seconds matter in saving a life. Now Birmingham is rolling out a new program stocking EMS trucks with whole blood. It’s already meant lives saved.

Birmingham is one of three sites in the country where emergency crews will have access to whole blood in the field. The other two are in Texas.

“Whole blood has all three components of blood: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma all the carriers you need to transport oxygen,” explains Birmingham Fire Battalion Chief Clay Hendon.

It’s critical in cases of severe trauma where patients are losing a lot of blood. In the past they could only give IV fluids to try and sustain a patient enroute to the emergency room.

“It’s a lifesaving agent for sure. We’ve used it thirteen times had eleven positive outcomes with those patients,” remarked Hendon. He says the blood has been used mostly for shooting victims.

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The pilot program started over the summer. UAB doctors rode with EMS crews showing them how to do the field transfusions. “We haven’t had any adverse reactions,” says Hendon.

Before there is a full roll out all the trucks have to be retrofitted with a medical grade refrigerator to store the blood. And crew members infusing the blood have to get critical care certification.

For now a supervisor carries the blood in a cooler to emergency calls. He carries two bags of O positive, the universal blood type.

Other upgrades being used by local EMS include automatic chest compressions and video Lorenza Scopes to help secure airways.