Bridgeport Hospital, emergency crews partner to bring quicker blood transfusions to patients in distress
"This is incredibly important in cases of bleeding or hemorrhage producing shock," said Bridgeport Hospital Doctor Doug Latham.
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When a patient needs blood – seconds matter. Bridgeport Hospital is teaming up with EMS and ambulance services in Trumbull, Bridgeport and Stratford to deliver that blood in the field.
"This is incredibly important in cases of bleeding or hemorrhage producing shock," said Dr. Doug Latham, EMS medical director at Bridgeport Hospital.
When a patient needs blood, a trip to the hospital may be too late. Bridgeport Hospital has developed a new blood transfusion program to bring blood to the field in ambulances.
"The evidence is clear. The time to administer blood products really matters and being able to administer blood products in the field through our EMS agencies can be the difference between life and death for patients," said Latham.
"The data and the studies have shown that it works," said Bridgeport Hospital EMS Manager Leigh Goodman.
Doctors say there is always a need for blood and now transfusions can be done right in the ambulance. Experts say the timing of this program is just as important.
"We do see an increase in a lot of traumatic injuries over the summer and if we can help to save the lives of some of our patients by starting that blood transfusion earlier and really stabilizing them until they can get here with our medical team, it will make all the difference," said Goodman.
The mandatory training for the program has already started and this program should be fully operational in the coming weeks.
