• Stefan Heschl, Emily Andrew, Anthony de Wit, Stephen Bernard, Marcus Kennedy, Karen Smith, and Study Investigators.
• Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
• Emerg Med Australas. 2018 Apr 1; 30 (2): 236-241.

ObjectiveThe optimal volume and type of intravenous fluid for the treatment of blood loss in the prehospital setting is controversial. The use of red cell concentrates (RCCs) may be associated with improved outcomes; however, the administration of blood products is limited to physicians in many jurisdictions. We sought to describe the characteristics of RCC transfusions in a paramedic-staffed helicopter emergency medical system in Victoria, Australia.MethodsWe performed a retrospective analysis of all cases where paramedics consulted the responsible physician for approval of RCC transfusion between July 2011 and December 2015 in Victoria, Australia. Ambulance data was retrieved from electronic patient care records and hospital and outcome data was retrieved from a state-wide trauma registry.ResultsA total of 180 primary missions was identified where paramedics requested approval for transfusion of RCCs during the study period. A total of 150 patients received prehospital RCCs, of which 136 had suffered trauma. The majority of these patients were male (66.7%) and were involved in a car accident (62.5%). Most (97.4%) patients had an Injury Severity Score ≥12. There were improvements in median systolic blood pressure (80 mmHg vs 94 mmHg, P < 0.001) and shock index (1.50 vs 1.23, P < 0.001) between time of consultation and arrival at hospital. Overall, mortality for trauma patients was 37.7%. There were no transfusion-related complications identified.ConclusionPrehospital transfusion of RCC by paramedics is feasible. Future studies should compare the outcomes of patients receiving prehospital RCCs with outcomes for patients in which RCCs are administered in hospital.© 2017 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

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