Mass. EMS system begins carrying blood for prehospital transfusions

By Adam Bass
masslive.com

WORCESTER, Mass. — Some ambulances in Worcester and Shrewsbury will now be equipped with a supply of blood, making transfusions possible for critically ill and injured patients being taken to a hospital.

This new feature for ambulances is part of the Worcester EMS’ prehospital blood program, an initiative that allows paramedics to begin blood transfusions in the field. The EMS serves the communities of Worcester and Shrewsbury and is operated by UMass Memorial Health, which launched the new program on Sept. 1.

| WATCH: Bringing whole blood to the front lines of EMS

“This is yet another lifesaving advance that Worcester EMS is proud to offer the citizens of Worcester, expanding on the state-of-the-art care we already provide with antibiotics, medication-enhanced intubation and mechanical ventilation,” Norman Soucie, chief of Worcester EMS, UMass Memorial Health, said in a press release.

In July, Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Office of Emergency Medical Services approved Worcester EMS to carry and give blood products inside the ambulances.

Worcester EMS is the only one in Central Massachusetts that offers this type of service, according to UMass Memorial Health.

While the program allows ambulances to have blood ready for transfusions, not every ambulance will have a supply.

Instead, the blood will be carried on designated Worcester EMS supervisory response vehicles that are operated by lieutenants on duty, according to Soucie.

The lieutenant is responsible for responding to incidents across the system. The lieutenant brings blood directly to the scene where a patient is identified as someone who can have a transfusion before going to the hospital.

The blood is stored in specialized temperature-controlled coolers within the designated response vehicle. The UMass Memorial Medical Center blood bank is in charge of overseeing inventory and replaces blood products as they are used or as needed, according to Soucie.

The new program expands upon the city’s 911 system, which includes medical helicopters, a tactical EMS Team and EMS physician response vehicle — all of which carry and administer blood products.

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