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Yale New Haven Health System

Bridgeport Hospital launches lifesaving prehospital blood transfusion program

Bridgeport Hospital and its EMS partners recently launched a program in which paramedics can administer blood transfusions in their ambulances.
Bridgeport Hospital and its EMS partners recently launched a program in which paramedics can administer blood transfusions in their ambulances.

Bridgeport Hospital recently launched a lifesaving prehospital blood transfusion program that equips regional emergency medical services (EMS) agencies with the tools and education necessary for paramedics to administer blood transfusions in their ambulances.

The program, the first of its kind in the region, is a collaboration with Bridgeport Hospital’s EMS partners from Bridgeport American Medical Response, Trumbull EMS and Stratford EMS.

“When assessing and treating bleeding patients, every second matters,” said Douglas Latham, MD, Bridgeport Hospital EMS medical director. “The ability to transfuse blood prior to arriving at the hospital improves patient outcomes by addressing hemorrhagic shock during the most critical time, stabilizing patients until they arrive at the hospital for ongoing treatment and mitigating the effects of severe blood loss in critically injured and/or bleeding patients.”

Paramedics approved by one of the hospital’s sponsored agencies must complete the Bridgeport Hospital Initial Blood Transfusion Training Program and maintain their transfusion authorization status through mandatory annual training. The Bridgeport Hospital Blood Bank will provide EMS teams with one unit of group O-positive whole blood or red blood cells to be stored in a unit on their vehicle. Over 80 percent of the population has a positive blood type and can receive O-positive blood, according to the American Red Cross.

“Launching this program is just one more way we’re advancing our mission to care for our community, especially in the most critical moments,” said Anne Diamond, DBA, JD, Bridgeport Hospital president. “It helps us to extend our care beyond the walls of our hospital and is a testament to the truly collaborative relationships between the hospital and our regional EMS agencies.”