This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Blood on Board trial saves more lives, charity confirms
More lives have been saved during a trial in which blood plasma was carried on-board the Great North Air Ambulances (GNAA).
The 'Blood on Board' trial involved enabling aircraft to carry defrosted fresh frozen plasma, ready for quick blood transfusions.
During the five month trial, 376 cool boxes were prepared and delivered split 50:50 with blood and blood + plasma; 36 patients received ‘blood on board’; three patients who survived were ‘unexpected survivors; and 50 per cent of patients were involved a road traffic accident; 15% had had a serious fall and 12.5 per cent were victims of stabbings.
The 'Blood on Board' technique will now be adopted on both of the Henry Surtees Foundation’s active aircraft, and will continue to be monitored to ensure it is working effectively.
Dr Rachel Hawes, GNAAS aircrew doctor and Consultant in Anaesthesia & Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), commented: “We’re delighted to see evidence that using fresh frozen plasma alongside red blood cell transfusions, when stabilising patients with life threatening injuries, has had such a positive impact. Across the first five months of the new trial we have seen three unexpected survivors which is fantastic news.
“In fact we treated 36 patients using the blood on board technique during these five months – this compares to 37 throughout the whole of our first year practising ‘Blood on Board’. This shows how much this new approach has become routine practice when needed, and means that major trauma patients are alive today because of the rapid transfusions they received at the scene of their accident.”
Hawes added: “None of this life-saving work would be possible without our partnership with our Blood Bike colleagues and the Henry Surtees Foundation. And of course we extend huge thanks to the public who raise huge amounts of money every single day to help us give more and more people the best possible chance of surviving life-threatening injuries.”
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