DORCHESTER COUNTY, Md. — Dorchester County plans to equip its ambulances with whole blood after the County Council accepted a state grant on June 2.
The county had previously been approved for a one-year Whole Blood Program grant from the state, WBOC reported. The funding will allow EMS crews to carry whole blood for patients who need transfusions before reaching a hospital.
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The grant will pay for specialized equipment, including blood warmers and coolers, as well as equipment crews need to safely deliver whole blood to patients before they reach the hospital.
The program began as a Maryland State Police Aviation pilot and later expanded statewide. Dorchester County EMS is still deciding where to station the supplies.
“The whole blood program will actually have blood products available to patients, which is much better than using traditional IV fluids,” County Council President and EMT Lenny Pfeffer said. “Whole blood actually carries platelets, and they allow for the transfer of oxygen as well, which IV fluids really don’t do.”
If successful, officials plan to seek additional grant funding to expand the whole-blood program to additional EMS stations after the first year.
