EMS Grady to become first Atlanta paramedics to give blood transfusions in the field
By Patrick Quinn
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ATLANTA (WANF) — Starting in March, EMS Grady paramedics will begin administering blood transfusions in the field for patients who suffer severe trauma where major blood loss occurs.
This includes patients suffering from gunshot or stabbing wounds and those involved in a major car collision.
“No longer are ambulances just a way to get a patient from the field to the hospital. What we’re trying to do is bring that treatment to the patient,” said Dr. Lekshmi Kumar, EMS medical director for Grady EMS.
Kumar said based on recent data that for every minute that passes for a patient losing blood, their chance of survival decreases 5%.
Roughly 30 Grady paramedics began their training on Monday. The hospital hopes to have the training complete and crews prepared by the end of March.
Kumar said that it was important to conduct the training ahead of the summer where they typically see a surge in trauma 911 calls across the city.
“We’re going to be saving many lives here in Atlanta,” said Dr. Ryan Fransman, a trauma surgeon at Grady Memorial Hospital.
Fransman said the move will not likely lead to a decrease in trauma patients entering Grady — the city’s only level-1 trauma hospital.
However, he said blood transfusions happening in the field will help the patient’s path toward recovery at Grady.
“The number of holes that these patients are coming in with and the majority of these patients coming in with hemorrhagic shock — this is no joke no more,” said Fransman.
Kumar said Grady has been in communication with 911 dispatchers in the City of Atlanta about this new training initiative.
Dispatchers will be advised to coordinate with Grady EMS teams to ensure trauma-trained crews respond to appropriate calls.
“I just hope the public knows that we have their back and that we want to do the best we can for them, and this is an initiative toward that,” Hannah Thompson, a Grady paramedic, said.
Kumar said giving blood to patients in the field will optimize their blood supply.
She said that crews will administer O+ blood, which is what most people can receive.
Once at the hospital, Grady professionals can determine if a more specific blood type is necessary.
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