VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. — Ventura County Fire Department paramedics from Rescue Ambulance 50 performed the department’s first prehospital whole blood transfusion during a call in Oxnard.
Rescue Ambulance 50 responded to a call on April 10 involving a male victim with a stab wound to the upper thigh that had punctured an artery. The response was a coordinated effort with Oxnard Police, Oxnard Fire and Gold Coast Ambulance, edhat Santa Barbara reported.
Initial care provided by Oxnard Police officers, Oxnard Fire paramedics and Gold Coast paramedics included tourniquet application, direct pressure, wound packing and the administration of tranexamic acid, a medication that helps control bleeding by supporting clot formation. When Ventura County paramedics arrived, they grabbed the whole blood gear from RA50 and jumped in the Gold Coast ambulance.
While en route to Ventura County Medical Center, the paramedics administered a unit of whole blood. The intervention was rapid and effective, with the patient’s vital signs improving during transport.
“This successful transfusion in the field is a direct result of the vision, training and strong partnerships,” Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said. “It represents a new era in prehospital trauma care and showcases the innovative spirit of Ventura County’s public safety and medical community.”
The whole blood program was developed through collaboration between the Ventura County Fire Department, Ventura County EMS, Ventura County Medical Center and whole blood provider Vitalant.
