First-responders in northern Colorado to begin use of whole blood transfusions

DENVER (KDVR) — First responders in northern Colorado will begin using "whole blood" on patients who are experiencing significant blood loss before arriving at the hospital, UCHealth and the Thompson Valley Emergency Medical Services announced in a press release.

This will make northern Colorado one of the first areas to adopt the whole blood treatment in the state, according to UCHealth.

UCHealth also launched the whole blood program in Colorado Springs. The company worked with the Colorado Springs Fire Department, which reported that over 30 lives were saved within the first 100 days due to the whole blood program.

UCHealth also said that its LifeLine teams across Colorado are carrying whole blood to assist in team responses.

First responders, outside of using whole blood treatment, would use IV fluids to help treat hemorrhagic shock until they could get the patient to a hospital. However, with the start of the whole blood program, first responders can begin whole-blood transfusions to stabilize patients before reaching the hospital.

Whole blood transfusions deliver all blood components including red blood cells, platelets and plasma. A study by the Journal of American College of Surgeons reported that the survival rate for a patient receiving whole blood treatment before the hospital increased by 60%.

Dr. Tyler Vaughn, an emergency medicine physician at UCHealth and the medical director of UCHealth EMS, said that whole blood transfusion first began on the battlefield of WWI. The advancement in whole-blood technology gives patients the best chance of survival.

“This program is going to save lives,” Vaughn said in the UCHealth release. “Historically, treatment for bleeding patients was limited, and blood products allow our paramedics to save patients that wouldn't have been able to survive to definitive care.”

The program will be utilized in Loveland, Berthoud and surrounding areas for Thompson Valley EMS, as well as, parts of northern Larimer County and parts of Weld County.

“Through our partnership with UCHealth, we are ensuring that the northern Colorado communities we serve receive the most advanced out-of-hospital care available,” said TVEMS Chief James Robinson in a release. “We are proud to be among the first EMS agencies in Colorado to bring whole blood to our patients and are confident it will save lives.”