By Bill Carey
EMS1
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Paramedics from the Colorado Springs Fire Department will soon be equipped with whole blood to conduct blood transfusions in the field, thanks to a new collaboration with UCHealth.
This initiative, reportedly the first of its kind in Colorado, is set to launch in May, KKTV reported.
“Hemorrhagic shock, bleeding to death, is the leading cause of death for people age 45 and under, and we know that upward of 40% of these patients could survive with immediate blood transfusion in the field,” says Colorado Springs Fire Department Co-Chief Medical Director and UCHealth physician Dr. Matt Angelidis said. “First responders bringing blood to the scene of an injury will save lives.”
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