ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Low titer blood donated from Group O donors is a universal “first-responder” blood for on scene trauma.
Chief Operator of Allentown EMS Mehmet Barzev said the new carry could impact an average of 50 victims out of more than 19,000 yearly calls.
“Until we started carrying actual whole blood, if somebody was hemorrhaging, we would just replenish their lost fluid with fluid, basically salt water…a quick fix for volume, it does nothing for actual circulation oxygenation,” Barzev said.
This comes as part of Miller Keystone Blood Center’s and Allentown’s Pre Hospital Blood Program partnership. The Allentown EMS Supervisor truck will carry it at all times. Before this, a call had to be made to a hospital for a meet at the scene scenario that wouldn’t always be available.
“For this specific program, we have what we refer to as a ‘standing order’,” said Miller Keystone President Rami Nemeh. “So, we were able to build a list of donors that have been already qualified, and we call them when we need them.”
The military grade cooler is plugged into a MiFi for constant monitoring while it’s in the vehicle.
The blood is stored at 35-40 degrees, then instantly warmed when a transfusion is needed. The crew spent a year testing saline to ensure the lifesaving cargo wouldn’t go to waste.
“It was in a 160-degree oven for 18 hours, and it still had temperature,” Barsev told 69 news.
The only way to spoil the program? A lack of donors.