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Onboard blood refrigerator is first of its kind in the U.S. in helicopter trauma transport
Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN)’s MedEvac helicopters are joining their ground-based transport counterparts in offering potentially lifesaving blood transfusions to patients before they reach a hospital emergency room.
Last summer, through a partnership with HNL Lab Medicine, which manages LVHN’s blood supply, LVHN MedEvac ground ambulances began carrying whole blood for patients who may need transfusions started before they can get to a hospital.
Bryan Evans, Director, MedEvac and Critical Care Emergency Transport, says MedEvac helicopters will now have the same capability. They’ll be the first in the country to use an on-board blood refrigerator, rather than a cooler-type device, the type now used in MedEvac ground ambulances. “We are the first in the U.S. to successfully launch the Delta Development Autonomous Portable Refrigeration Unit (APRU) blood refrigerator in helicopter EMS,” he says. MedEvac ground units will soon convert to the small blood refrigerators.
“The logistics are challenging because MedEvac helicopters aren’t based at a hospital. A key priority for us is to avoid any waste,” Evans says. “These are fully accredited blood bank refrigerators. They are plugged in and powered, and have Bluetooth capability to report any issues.”
MedEvac helicopters are currently based in Kutztown, East Stroudsburg, Hazleton and Pottsville.
“As before, this was a huge collaborative effort from the entire team at MedEvac and HNL Lab Medicine,” Evans says.
The national trend is to put whole blood in the hands of prehospital providers. Crews use type O whole blood, also known as universal donor blood. Whole blood means the blood contains all three major blood components: red blood cells, platelets and plasma.
“Having blood changes the way we’re able to practice in the field. It’s evidence-based medicine,” says Jeffrey Kuklinski, DO, Chief, Division of Emergency Medical Services at LVHN and LVHN MedEvac Medical Director.
A joint statement in 2022 from the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, American College of Emergency Physicians, and National Association of EMS Physicians says extreme blood loss remains the leading cause of preventable death among trauma patients, with nearly half dying before they reach a hospital. It says patients with hemorrhagic shock should get “prehospital blood products whenever available.”
Groups such as the Prehospital Blood Transfusion Initiative Coalition also are championing increased use of blood transfusions in the field, along with changes to better enable the practice. America’s Blood Centers®, whose members supply 60% of the U.S. blood supply, also is supporting the practice.
Evans says the move to blood transfusion capability in the air is just another example of how LVHN, part of Jefferson Health, is always looking to provide more for the communities it serves. “As one of the oldest helicopter transport programs in the US, MedEvac has been successful for 44 years. We never settle for ordinary and are always looking to advance the care and services to better serve our patients and community,” he says.
