Thames Valley and Chiltern AA to carry blood
The UK’s Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance has announced that it will now carry lifesaving blood onboard its helicopters.
The UK’s Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance has announced that it will now carry lifesaving blood onboard its helicopters. As of 18 December, each of the services’ aircraft will permanently carry two units of blood, and onboard doctors will be able to give blood to patients on the roadside.
Dr Syed Masud, helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) consultant for the charity, commented: “Trauma is the leading cause of death and disability in children and adults worldwide. About half of all deaths are due to bleeding or complications resulting from it. Injury, shock and blood loss all contribute to a failure of the body’s normal blood clotting mechanisms (coagulation), which then leads to more bleeding.” He cited military research from areas such as Afghanistan that showed that blood is an essential replacement fluid for victims of trauma, but that transporting it to patients as close to the point of injury as possible is difficult. “The invention of the specialised ‘blood cool box’ allows [the air ambulance] to carry and store blood for 72 hours. Blood not used will be recycled within the hospital so there is no wastage.”
According to Dr Masud, Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust is only the second air ambulance in the country to adopt this new initiative.