THORNTON, Colo. — The Thornton Fire Department is now one of the first in the north metro area to carry whole blood on its ambulances.
Instead of waiting until a patient reaches the emergency room, paramedics can now start transfusions minutes earlier for people suffering severe blood loss.
The whole blood program is a partnership between Thornton Fire and HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge.
The Whole Blood program began on June 29. Since then, four people have received whole blood transfusions before ever reaching the hospital.
“Our blood does a lot. It mainly carries oxygen quickly, because without oxygen all of our cells and organs start to die. All the components do something different, but we want whole blood because it will carry oxygen and help the blood clot,” HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge director of trauma Kerri Wenke said.
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Whole blood replaces everything the body is losing at once, including red blood cells, plasma and platelets, helping restore oxygen to vital organs while also supporting the body's ability to clot.
“When we think about losing blood quickly to the brain and vital organs, minutes really do count. You get the best benefit by the whole blood. Otherwise, you're having to give different components or making sure we're equal in all of those components,” Wenke said.
Hospital leaders say the number one cause of death in trauma is hemorrhage, so getting blood transfused to the patient even a few minutes sooner can make a big difference.
“When we lose blood, we become hypotensive, which means your blood pressure is very low. With low blood pressure, you lose blood flow to your brain, your limbs, and your kidneys. That can cause complications,” Wenke said.
While this program aids in getting blood to critically injured patients faster, it can also improve outcomes.
“With traumatic brain injuries, specifically, hypotension can worsen the swelling and brain trauma in the days after the event. The more we can decrease the risk of hypotension, the better outcomes we have in the days after the trauma,” Wenke added.
Each ambulance carries one unit of whole blood, which is supplied by HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge and replaced as needed.
Hospital officials are urging people to donate blood, especially during what's known as "trauma season," when the demand for blood is at its highest.
“All blood is a hot commodity and a resource that should be guarded. Whole blood is even more so, because it takes a certain type of donor that are kind of hard to come by. It can't just be anyone,” Wenke told Denver7.
