Florida’s First Flight now carries whole blood onboard

Previously, First Flight carried only blood ‘parts’ onboard – packed red blood cells and liquid plasma. While the inclusion of blood parts offers a greater diversity of treatment options, the inclusion of whole blood offers a more efficient alternative for patients who require both plasma and red blood cells, such as patients who have suffered from rapid blood loss.

The announcement follows the validation of new blood coolers onboard the aircraft and was reportedly made possible through a collaboration with blood supplier OneBlood.

The service, which is based at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, Florida, is the sole air medical operator in Brevard County, and is operated by Metro Aviation on behalf of Health First.

“For our trauma patients, the ability to provide whole blood in the prehospital setting at the earliest point of patient care is exciting and groundbreaking for our region,” said Dr Peter Depowski, Medical Director of Health First Transfusion Services. “Use of whole blood in this setting in both military and civilian studies suggest that whole blood may reduce mortality, which is our primary goal.”

Elsewhere, UK-based air ambulance charity East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) announced that it now carries packed red blood cells and freeze-dried plasma on every mission in July 2021.