Austin-Travis County EMS Launches Prehospital Whole Blood Program

PRESS RELEASE

AUSTIN, TX—Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) announced December 7, 2021, the launch of a new pilot program to carry whole blood on response vehicles.

ATCEMS, the Office of the Chief Medical Officer (OCMO) and We Are Blood have been collaborating for over a year to develop this lifesaving program. To start the pilot, two different ATCEMS response units (a district commander and a medical officer) will carry Low Titer O+ Whole Blood. Type O blood is the universal donor blood type and “Low Titer” means there are a minimal amount of antibodies in the blood, making it safe to transfuse to a patient with any blood type.

“Every second counts when you are dealing with a life-threatening hemorrhage, so carrying blood products with the ability to administer them in the field could very likely be the difference between life and death for these patients,” said Deputy Medical Director Heidi Abraham. “Prior to this, we only had the ability to stop the bleeding, and try to replace the lost blood volume with IV fluids, which is not the best option for hemorrhaging patients. By administering blood products at the patient’s side, closer to the time of injury, we’re giving these patients a much better chance of survival and recovery.”

Established in 1951, We Are Blood is the nonprofit blood center serving Central Texas, and the sole provider of blood products in the region. Their mission: to provide and protect the community blood supply, to inspire Central Texans to save lives locally, and to always treat everyone they serve like family. As such, their staff is available to ATCEMS 24-7 to restock blood when it is used. If a unit of whole blood is not used by ATCEMS within 7 days, it will then be returned to We Are Blood and re-distributed to local trauma centers for use in the hospital.

“We Are Blood is proud to partner with ATCEMS to pilot an innovative whole blood program that will help Central Texans experiencing traumas,” said Nick Canedo, vice president of community engagement at We Are Blood. “Blood donations made at We Are Blood protect local patients, and having blood products on ATCEMS vehicles means our community will have access to lifesaving transfusions sooner.”

The blood will be carried in specialized coolers inside the ATCEMS units. These coolers maintain an FDA mandated temperature between 1–6 degrees Celsius. A rigorous validation process was executed by ATCEMS in conjunction with We Are Blood, to ensure compliance with the required temperature parameters.

“It really is beautifully orchestrated by We Are Blood, they do a remarkable job and provide an important service for our community,” said Capt. Dave LeClere, who is coordinating the program for ATCEMS. “We Are Blood’s director of business development and her team were crucial to our success in getting to this point, and we can’t thank them enough.”

The goal for the future of ATCEMS’ blood program is to make blood available as close to the time of injury as possible. While there is no defined completion date for the pilot, the department will analyze the data and develop a strategy for equitable deployment. ATCEMS is committed to and invested in making the lifesaving resource of whole blood available to residents and visitors to the City of Austin and Travis County.