ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. — St. Charles County paramedics are training on a new device called Life Flow, unveiled during a staged mass-casualty drill in St. Peters on Oct. 9.
The handheld tool enables rapid blood transfusions in the field or inside an ambulance, a capability first responders say could significantly improve patient survival, FOX 2 NOW reported.
“Pre-hospital delivery of blood products is cutting-edge treatment that gives patients experiencing hemorrhagic shock due to critical blood loss the best chance of survival,” said David K. Tan, M.D., Chief Medical Officer said in a statement. “Prompt delivery of these vital blood components for patients in these dire situations will contribute to improved outcomes.”
LifeFlow is designed for rapid setup and straightforward use, enabling fast delivery of blood and resuscitative fluids. It can infuse one unit of blood or 500 mL of fluid in about two minutes to address hypotension and shock and allow prompt reassessment.
“Systems are able to get that blood up to 19 minutes faster than they would if we just transported them to the hospital,” Deputy Chief John Romeo said.
Loaded with red blood cells and plasma, the Life Flow device is a game-changer for treating severe blood loss and hemorrhage. The St. Charles County Ambulance District has one unit in service and plans to add three more.
