Henrico expands pre-hospital whole blood program countywide

Henrico County Division of Fire has expanded its pre-hospital whole blood transfusion program countywide after an initial pilot in the western portion of the county in October.

The program allows trained paramedics to administer Low-Titer O Positive Whole Blood to qualifying patients before they reach a hospital. Whole blood contains red cells, plasma and platelets and can be used in severe bleeding emergencies when minutes matter. The county said all Henrico paramedics received weeks of training for the expanded service.

“Time is of the essence in an emergency. By equipping our paramedics with this life saving tool, we are helping patients buy more time until they get to the hospital,” said Jeffrey Ferguson, M.D., Henrico Fire’s operational medical director. “It’s the best alternative for resuscitating a patient who is in shock due to blood loss.”

Henrico is working with Inova Blood Donor Services to supply the blood and is participating in a zero-waste arrangement intended to make sure units approaching the end of their field-use period can still be used appropriately within the health system.

Click here to learn more about the program.