A program that brings blood to trauma patients in rural and remote communities took flight at the end of last year and is helping provide life-saving care sooner.
“When patients require an emergency blood transfusion their condition is critical and time is of the essence,” said health minister Terry Lake in a media release.
The program, a first for BC Ambulance Service (BCAS), means paramedics will fly directly to the patient with a supply of blood on board the air ambulance.
A spokesperson from BCAS said the protocol has not yet been required to treat patients in Powell River, however she anticipates future need. In 2013, 193 air ambulance transports were made from Powell River and of those 103 were by fixed wing aircraft and 90 by helicopter. BCAS was unable to confirm the number of times, prior to the implementation of the blood transfusion protocol, that patients on those transports could have used a blood transfusion in transit.
The partnership between Vancouver Coastal Health Transfusion Medicine Services and BCAS allows for blood products to now travel directly on air ambulances right from takeoff. The blood is picked up by a ground ambulance crew from the main blood bank at Vancouver General Hospital and stored in a specialized cooler onboard the air ambulance during flight.
“We know that the sooner patients receive blood products, the better the chance of a positive medical outcome,” said Dr. Erik Vu, Vancouver Coastal Health physician and BCAS critical care paramedic. “This new program ensures patients will receive life-saving blood transfusions with the required blood products faster and arrive at a tertiary centre sooner.”
BCAS critical care paramedics, who provide care to patients from all areas of the province, found there was a need to improve access to blood products for patients in rural and remote locations. Previously, when an air ambulance transport request from a small facility was received, paramedics would have to stop at another health care facility to pick up required blood products, and then continue travelling to the patient.
“Critical care paramedic teams see first-hand the dedication of local health professionals in rural and remote areas, as well as the logistical challenges that come with providing care in these communities,” said BCAS critical care paramedic Kalani Polson.
BCAS’s Critical Care Transport Program is the second busiest in North America. Last year, critical care paramedics transported 8,600 patients throughout BC using both ground and air ambulances.
