AUSTIN, Texas — Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) medics have passed a milestone in their effort to save lives.
Back in 2021, they launched a Whole Blood Program, which allows them to carry blood on ambulances and start transfusions on trauma patients as fast as possible while they're on their way to the hospital. The program is a collaboration between ATCEMS and We Are Blood.
In the time since then, the program has expanded so more units can carry blood on board.
Last week, ATCEMS administered the 200th unit of whole blood for the system. The most recent data shows that 89% of patients who receive blood and are taken to the hospital survive to discharge.
“When a patient experiences a life-threatening hemorrhage, we are working against the clock. Rapid intervention on the scene can mean the difference between life and death,” Deputy Medical Director Dr. Heidi Abraham said. “With the ability to administer blood to patients near the time of injury, we are giving them the best possible chance of survival.”
ATCEMS said it continues to see the benefit of the resource as the program expands and more patients are receiving transfusions in the field. While the program has been active for nearly two years, the last six months have seen it more than double, ATCEMS said, both in terms of available blood and the number of units that carry it. ATCEMS now carries blood on all seven district command units in the system, up from three just six months ago.
“The expansion of this program over the summer has absolutely been a game changer for us and has increased the survivability for our patients,” said ATCEMS Commander Paul Mallon, who oversees the blood program. “Thanks to our partners at We Are Blood, we’ve not only been able to increase our daily deployment of blood, but we’ve added the ability to increase our stocking levels when we anticipate an increase in demand, like major holidays or during festival seasons.”