READING PA – A Reading-based critical care truck that is part of the TowerDirect ambulance and emergency vehicle fleet, operated by Tower Health and available to Berks County first-responder agencies, now carries whole blood products, the health system announced.
The blood can be administered by its team’s pre-hospital critical care nurses to patients who qualify for what is known as a “massive transfusion protocol.” It generally applies to patients “with current, ongoing, or impending massive blood loss,” according to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Patients requiring transfusion could include those suffering from severe hemorrhagic shock, gunshot wounds, stab wounds, critical injuries from a motor vehicle accident, OB/GYN bleeds, severe internal bleeding, or other forms of penetrating or blunt force trauma, Tower Health explained.
“By keeping blood products on the truck, our team can begin a lifesaving transfusion 15 to 30 minutes sooner. Research has shown that implementing this practice in the field leads to improved patient outcomes and survivability,” TowerDIRECT Medical Director Herbert Schiffer, DO, noted. ““During a traumatic injury every second matters.”
The truck will carry Type O blood products, which can be received safely by every patient. Patients will benefit from receiving whole blood that includes red blood cells, plasma, and platelets. All are critical to help the blood clot, its representatives said.
Tower Health President and CEO P. Sue Perrotty said the non-profit system’s team members “took this from an idea 18 months ago to a reality today” under a “strong” partnership with Miller-Keystone Blood Center in Bethlehem PA.
Blood centers across the U.S. continue to face critical shortages due to increased demand and a decrease in donors. Tower Health said it encourages community residents to donate blood to their local blood banks to ensure an adequate supply.
