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Bandera County EMS Shift Supervisor David Hulsey and Director Calvin Plummer hold a unit of blood, which is now available for emergency transfusions.
Photo by Jessica Goode
July 2, 2019
Bandera County EMS supplied with blood for transfusions, giving golden 20 minutes to patients in need
By Jessica Goode
The Bandera Prophet
In an emergency, seconds can mean the difference between life and death. As of July 1, Bandera County EMS is stocked with whole blood, and EMS Director Calvin Plummer believes that will help save lives.
Yesterday morning, Plummer picked up a supply of O-Positive blood from the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center. Considered the universal alternative for all blood types, the blood can buy precious minutes during the transition between ambulance and hospital.
O-Negative is the first choice as a universal donor, however about seven percent of the population has O-Negative blood type, which makes it high-demand and short-supply, Plummer said. The backup, he said, is O-Positive - specifically from male donors. Because men have lower titers, there is a decreased risk of different blood types attacking each other.
“Transfusions of incompatible blood types cause reactions,” Plummer said.
In an emergency where there’s blood loss, often the time it takes to type someone’s blood takes too long. In those cases, a universal blood type is administered.
“In the ER, they’re already behind the curve,” Plummer said. “If a patient requires a mass transfusion protocol, the hospital needs the blood before they get there.”
Cases in Bexar County indicated that patients who were less than 20 minutes from a hospital had a higher survival rate than those who were further away. That golden 20 minutes in which a necessary transfusion was started has proven critical in a patient’s survival.
“It takes a helicopter 20 to 21 minutes to land,” Plummer said, adding LifeFlight helicopters are also supplied with O-Positive blood. “We’re going to be able to start that unit of blood right away.”
Each unit of blood has a 35-day shelf life. After two weeks, any blood not used will be rotated with a fresh supply. The unused units will be sent to University Hospital in San Antonio, where there is higher demand.
Plummer said four patients who called for help at the beginning of April would have benefitted from an immediate blood transfusion.
“There were fatalities,” Plummer said. “There were [other] patients that received blood in the [LifeFlight] helicopter. They used their supply and saved lives.”
Yesterday morning, Plummer picked up a supply of O-Positive blood from the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center. Considered the universal alternative for all blood types, the blood can buy precious minutes during the transition between ambulance and hospital.
O-Negative is the first choice as a universal donor, however about seven percent of the population has O-Negative blood type, which makes it high-demand and short-supply, Plummer said. The backup, he said, is O-Positive - specifically from male donors. Because men have lower titers, there is a decreased risk of different blood types attacking each other.
“Transfusions of incompatible blood types cause reactions,” Plummer said.
In an emergency where there’s blood loss, often the time it takes to type someone’s blood takes too long. In those cases, a universal blood type is administered.
“In the ER, they’re already behind the curve,” Plummer said. “If a patient requires a mass transfusion protocol, the hospital needs the blood before they get there.”
Cases in Bexar County indicated that patients who were less than 20 minutes from a hospital had a higher survival rate than those who were further away. That golden 20 minutes in which a necessary transfusion was started has proven critical in a patient’s survival.
“It takes a helicopter 20 to 21 minutes to land,” Plummer said, adding LifeFlight helicopters are also supplied with O-Positive blood. “We’re going to be able to start that unit of blood right away.”
Each unit of blood has a 35-day shelf life. After two weeks, any blood not used will be rotated with a fresh supply. The unused units will be sent to University Hospital in San Antonio, where there is higher demand.
Plummer said four patients who called for help at the beginning of April would have benefitted from an immediate blood transfusion.
“There were fatalities,” Plummer said. “There were [other] patients that received blood in the [LifeFlight] helicopter. They used their supply and saved lives.”