Berkeley County’s EMS whole blood program already saving lives

The newly-implemented Whole Blood Program through Berkeley County EMS is off to a successful start, already saving lives in the first month of its launch. Since early March, when the program began, EMS staff have already administered four blood transfusions in the field.

HCA Healthcare Trident Hospital recently recognized Berkeley County EMS for its Whole Blood Program and honored the first responders involved in the life-saving efforts of the program’s first blood transfusion. In that incident, a patient fell onto a drinking glass and suffered significant injuries to the face and head, resulting in life-threatening hemorrhaging. Paramedics controlled the bleeding on scene before meeting up with a supervisor en route to the hospital who was carrying whole blood. Paramedics then transported the patient to HCA Healthcare Trident Hospital for further life-saving care.

The Whole Blood Program is a partnership with MUSC that allows Berkeley County EMS to continuously carry one unit of O-positive blood on each of the agency’s two Supervisor vehicles. Berkeley County is the first agency in the Tri-County, and one of only a handful in the state, to carry whole blood in the field, enhancing trauma care.

The Supervisor vehicles can respond to any emergency in the County where whole blood is needed for a life-saving transfusion. Whole blood is critical because it contains red cells, plasma, and platelets in one unit for balanced resuscitation, especially in cases of hemorrhagic shock.