We have been carrying blood and plasma on board our fleet of vehicles and aircraft since 2014. This year, we are taking part in a pioneering whole blood trial to potentially reduce the number of deaths and the need for further large blood transfusions when patients get to hospital.
Major trauma kills more than 5,400 people every year in the UK. Whether they’ve been in a road traffic collision or been assaulted, for many of these people, a blood transfusion before they reach hospital can be the difference between life and death.
What is whole blood?
When blood is donated, it is split into three separate components:
- Red blood cells: important for carrying oxygen around the body
- Plasma: contains essential proteins to help blood clot
- Platelets: small cells that are important for blood clot formation
This separation enables patients to receive the component that they are missing.
In the UK, patients who are in desperate need of a blood transfusion before they arrive at hospital are given blood made up of red blood cells and plasma. Platelets, the part of the cell which helps blood to clot, must be stored at a set temperature and need constant movement to keep them oxygenated, meaning they are difficult to carry and store on an air ambulance.
Whole blood is as it is taken from the arm of the donor. It is the complete package and contains all these individual components in one bag.
Why use whole blood?
When major trauma patients bleed, they lose large quantities of all blood components required to form a blood clot. Using whole blood means the patient is getting a like for like replacement and the crew don’t need to carry separate components. It is hoped that this will reduce trauma deaths by enabling faster, more complete treatment.
All of the blood used will come from group O Rh negative donors. This is the ‘universal donor’ blood type, which is vital in emergency trauma care when there is not time to check the patient’s blood type before transfusion is started.
