Hemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable death following a severe injury, and sadly, up to 56% of those victims die before ever reaching the hospital. (1) Having the ability to get patients access to blood transfusions before they reach a hospital can have dramatic survival improvements.

A study of prehospital blood product transfusions in Afghanistan recently presented data that demonstrated a 20-fold survival benefit when blood is given within 34 minutes of injury. Additional data from the U.K. suggest prehospital blood may reduce transfusion requirements. (2)

MaxPlus EMT Coolers are designed for emergency medical transportation and air evac operations for deployment within seconds. The small, lightweight cooler stores two whole blood units at 1-6 °C and is validated for up to 24 hours, with no special handling or bench-time conditioning.

Why EMT’s Should Carry Whole Blood

Researchers found that early whole blood transfusions were associated with a 60% improved chance of survival within 24 hours and 68% better odds of survival at 30 days. However, that’s only if whole blood is given promptly. (3)

Whole blood is superior to crystalloids and colloids. There’s very little room to argue that crystalloid and colloid fluids are appropriate in resuscitation. (4) Blood should be replaced with blood. Since it is impossible to know what blood type your patient is, Whole Blood is type O positive for emergency use.

Whole Blood only needs to be refrigerated. Whole blood is more compact, delivering all the components in one bag instead of three. This reduces the amount of IV tubing needed. (5)

Purpose-Built for Emergency Medical Transport

From pre-hospital to OR and ER transfusions, the MaxPlus EMT Cooler transports blood products safely, stores them efficiently, and stands up to repeated in-field and in-hospital use. The MaxPlus EMT Cooler is optimized for quick deployment. The cooler’s simplified pack out that does not require special handling or bench-time conditioning results in the ability to move quickly when blood products are needed urgently. MaxPlus EMT Coolers are easy to implement in operations with minimal training, and the cooler’s small form factor is ideal to fit under most helicopter seats and takes up less space during ambulance use.

To learn more about all of the MaxPlus Coolers from MaxQ, please call 888-891-1200 or email us to be connected to your local sales representative.

MED Alliance Group is a medical device distributor that has been meeting the needs of our clinical customers and manufacturing partners since 1998. Dedicated to meeting the needs of its clinical customers and manufacturing partners, MED Alliance offers cost effective, customized sales, logistics, and distribution solutions for products found in anesthesia/respiratory, blood/transfusion therapy, EMS/emergency room, interventional radiology/cath lab, iv/vascular, NICU/PICU and pharmacy.

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References

(1) “Expanding Access to Blood Products.” America’s Blood Centers, 18 Mar. 2024, americasblood.org/advocacy/expanding-access-to-blood-products/.

(2) Fisher, Andrew D., et al. “Whole Blood in Ems May Save Lives – JEMS: EMS, Emergency Medical Services – Training, Paramedic, EMT News.” JEMS, 2 Jan. 2018, www.jems.com/patient-care/whole-blood-in-ems-may-save-lives/.

(3) https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-02-02/whole-blood-transfusions-might-save-more-lives

(4) Fisher, Andrew D., et al. “Whole Blood in Ems May Save Lives – JEMS: EMS, Emergency Medical Services – Training, Paramedic, EMT News.” JEMS, 2 Jan. 2018, www.jems.com/patient-care/whole-blood-in-ems-may-save-lives/.

(5) “10 Reasons Why Your Agency Needs to Carry Whole Blood.” EMS1, EMS1, 2 Feb. 2024, www.ems1.com/ems-products/bleeding-control/articles/10-reasons-why-your-agency-needs-to-carry-whole-blood-rgAnfmkEqUaioECj/.