CareFlight expands pre-hospital care with fibrinogen concentrate

CareFlight has introduced fibrinogen concentrate to its pre-hospital emergency response capability, marking a major step forward in trauma and obstetric care across Australia’s Northern Territory.

The powerful hemostatic agent helps restore clotting function in patients suffering severe blood loss – whether from trauma or obstetric complications – and can be crucial in controlling life-threatening hemorrhage before hospital arrival.

The initiative is the result of a collaboration between CareFlight, Royal Darwin Hospital, and NT Health. Through this partnership, fresh stock of fibrinogen concentrate is rotated daily to CareFlight’s Darwin base, ensuring crews are ready to deploy within minutes to remote or regional emergencies.

CareFlight Medical Director Associate Professor James Hooper said the addition significantly expanded the range of advanced treatments available in the field.

“The availability of fibrinogen concentrate for our critically unwell bleeding trauma and obstetric patients means a significant new product is added to our arsenal of available treatments,” he said. “In combination with the advanced medications and hemostatic agents that CareFlight already carries, this new addition allows us to provide even more treatment for some of the sickest patients in the NT.”

CareFlight has a long history of administering blood products in pre-hospital environments. The integration of fibrinogen concentrate enhances this capability, allowing air medical crews to stabilize patients in some of Australia’s most remote regions – often hours from definitive care.

The AirMed & Rescue team recently asked experts from across the air medical sector about current regulations and adaptations affecting teams that transport and administer blood products.