By Kevin Lawler
Integrating Military Expertise To Save Civilian Lives
In a critical care emergency, fast response and safe administration of blood can be the difference between life and death. Administration of blood in the pre-hospital environment is becoming more feasible for emergency helicopter and ground transport crews. Overcoming logistical issues such as how to control for shelf life, how to maintain a suitable thermal environment for blood storage and transport, how to determine which patients need pre-hospital blood and what blood products to use in the pre-hospital environment are among the challenges. Learnings from military conflict zones support the lifesaving power of pre-hospital blood and can contribute to conquering the challenges.