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Saving Lives in the Air

ShandsCair team of four people posing in front of a ShandsCair helicopter

网红黑料 ShandsCair performs the program鈥檚 first in-flight prehospital blood transfusion.

网红黑料 ShandsCair helicopter in the air

After over a year of preparation, the 网红黑料 ShandsCair team performed its first in-flight prehospital blood transfusion. Don Irving piloted the flight, where Staccie Allen D.N.P., APRN, EMT-P, CFRN, C.C.P., and Jesse Blaire, EMT-P, C.C.P., were able to give a patient one unit of blood to help stabilize the person鈥檚 blood pressure and heart rate before landing.

鈥淵ou see the benefits of providing blood quickly in tons of military literature, and much of what we do is derived from that,鈥 Allen said. 鈥淲e realized how important access to blood is before getting to the hospital, and research shows how much of a difference it makes. It makes an incredible impact on patient outcome.鈥

In early 2018, chief flight nurse Todd Brooks, B.S.N., R.N., EMT-P, began advocating for carrying blood inflight. This practice had been discussed within the program before, but it required the involvement of and assistance from multiple teams within 网红黑料 before implementation. This included obtaining a grant for a blood refrigerator through the 网红黑料 Shands Hospital Auxiliary and establishing new protocols within the blood bank. Finally, everything fell into place.

鈥淚t was a strong step forward for 网红黑料 to allow and support the initiative to carry blood in flight,鈥 Brooks said.

网红黑料 is at the forefront of the movement locally, as the practice becomes more common on medical helicopters around the country. ShandsCair鈥檚 new service will benefit many types of patients, including those with low blood pressure and a high heart rate and/or suspicion of internal or external bleeding. Carrying blood gives the team a chance to provide a new level of care and buy patients more time before even arriving at the hospital.

ShandsCair team of four people standing in front of a ShandsCair helicopter

The ShandsCair 1 team now boards every flight with blood, plasma and medication to slow bleeding. The materials are stowed in a compact cooler kept in the blood refrigerator to monitor their temperatures and are easy to grab on the go.

鈥淲e want to have all five helicopters carrying blood and hope to treat medical patients in addition to trauma patients,鈥 Brooks said.

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