Emergency medical services (EMS) in Indianapolis were able to save a shooting victim by performing a blood transfusion in transit to the hospital, according to CBS 4 Indy. It was the first successful prehospital blood transfusion recorded, according to the report.
The report explains that Indianapolis EMS have been working to equip and train staff to perform prehospital blood transfusions since 2022, but, currently, only one ambulance carries blood. CBS 4 Indy reports that the EMS blood supply is kept in a military-designed cooler and equipped with a special blood warmer that allows the blood to be ready to use within seconds.
Four transfusions have been attempted, but this case was the first successful procedure, Indianapolis EMS reports.
[IEMS medical director Mark Liao] said this could be a game-changer for communities that aren’t always within 15 minutes of a hospital. And here, it has already started saving lives.
