Introduction: The infusion of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) in the severely injured patient is not a new practice. It is a potentially lifesaving procedure although it is not without inherent risk. This practice in the helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) has not been examined in the literature. We attempt to determine factors associated with hypothermia (ie, < 35°C), including the transfusion of O negative blood.
Methods: This was a retrospective review using our trauma registry on all patients who arrived at our rural level 1 trauma center by HEMS from January 1, 2005, through June 30, 2009. Patient temperature on arrival was compared for patients with and without hypothermia transported by our HEMS service.
Results: During the study period, there were 707 HEMS transports by our service. Sixty (8.5%) were hypothermic, and 30 (4.2%) received PRBCs. There was a high likelihood of PRBC patients with hypothermia (odds ratio = 6.27; 95% confidence interval, 2.47-14.89; P < .05).
Discussion: HEMS trauma patients who have received blood are more likely to arrive hypothermic (ie, < 35°C). The clinical impact of giving PRBCs in the HEMS prehospital setting was not determined.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amj.2012.02.001 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Use of Helicopter Transport After Severe Trauma in the US.
JAMA Surg
January 2025
Department of Anesthesiology, Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
Importance: In the US, traumatic injuries are a leading cause of mortality across all age groups. Patients with severe trauma often require time-sensitive, specialized medical care to reduce mortality; air transport is associated with improved survival in many cases. However, it is unknown whether the provision of and access to air transport are influenced by factors extrinsic to medical needs, such as race or ethnicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCoagulation and platelet function in cold-stored whole blood on missions in a helicopter emergency service.
Acta Anaesthesiol Scand
February 2025
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Background: Haemorrhage is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in trauma, and prehospital transfusion of blood products is often necessary. Whole blood has been proposed to be the best alternative, but it is unclear whether, and how, storage and transport of the blood in a helicopter affects the blood units. We investigated the coagulation capacity and platelet function in whole blood at different time points during helicopter missions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA national study of in-hospital preparedness for Mass Casualty Incidents and disasters.
Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg
January 2025
Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Purpose: The current geopolitical situation and climate changes accentuate the importance of health preparedness. The aim was to examine the in-hospital preparedness for Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI) and Major Incidents (MI) on a national level.
Method: A web-based, cross-sectional study of in-hospital preparedness for MCI/MI in Norway.
The Management of Postpartum Cardiorespiratory Failure in a Patient with COVID-19 and Sickle Cell Trait Requiring Extraorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support and Airflight Transportation.
J Clin Med
January 2025
Department of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Anaesthesia and Critical Care, University Hospital of Martinique, F-97200 Fort-de-France, Martinique, France.
Acute cardiovascular disorders are incriminated in up to 33% of maternal deaths, and the presence of sickle cell anemia (SCA) aggravates the risk of peripartum complications. Herein, we present a 24-year-old Caribbean woman with known SCA who developed a vaso-occlusive crisis at 36 weeks of gestation that required emergency Cesarean section. In the early postpartum period, she experienced fever with rapid onset of acute respiratory distress in the context of COVID-19 infection that required tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilatory support with broad-spectrum antibiotics and blood exchange transfusion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFlight and Transport Nursing.
Am J Nurs
December 2024
Nyssa Hattaway is a flight nurse at AirLife 4 in Newnan, GA. Contact author: The author has disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
In unique, dynamic environments, these nurses make every second count.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!