RatCatcher said:First of all, last time I checked medics don't carry any blood with them. Any cas that will receive blood will get it at a facility with a lab, who will cross match the blood prior (hence one of the reasons they take blood in the trauma bays). If they need it right away it will ffp or O-. They will ingnore any tats or anything written on kit... in case of people with the wrong type on tags.
Infidel-6 said:After reading the book "Roberts Ridge" and talking to some of the "guys who dont exist" here - there are people using whole blood in combat lifesaving...
RatCatcher said:First of all, last time I checked medics don't carry any blood with them. Any cas that will receive blood will get it at a facility with a lab, who will cross match the blood prior (hence one of the reasons they take blood in the trauma bays). If they need it right away it will ffp or O-. They will ingnore any tats or anything written on kit... in case of people with the wrong type on tags.
Infidel-6 said:Your quoting conventional force doctrine -- I wasn't
DartmouthDave said:Dose anybody have any studies on the use of whole blood.
David S. Kauvar, MD, John B. Holcomb, MD, Gary C. Norris, MPH, and John R. Hess, MD
The transfusion of fresh whole blood (FWB) for trauma-induced coagulopathy is unusual in civilian practice. However, US military physicians have used FWB in every combat operation since the practice was introduced in World War I and continue to do so during current military operations. We discuss our review of all blood products administered to US military casualties in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) between March and December 2003. FWB transfusions were most frequent when demands for massive transfusions wiped out existing blood supplies. FWB patients had the highest blood product requirements; however, mortality did not differ significantly between FWB and non-FWB patients overall or for massively transfused patients. We review the current military practice of FWB transfusion in combat theaters and conclude that FWB transfusion is convenient, safe, and effective in certain military situations. J Trauma. 2006;61:181–184.
elder medic said:FURTHER TO ABOVE:
My apologies. Seems as though the bugs got at my PC again . Line three should not be there Don't know where or why it came from.
elder medic said:Fascinating subject with many good and bad points. Speaking from my own viewpoint as an ex-member of the Corps, who served with the RCR in Korea, we had no whole blood products other than plasma. In the rifle companies we had NO blood byproducts whatsoever. Plasma was the product of choice until one got back to a MASH. I have been fortunate in that at 75 I have never needed such product, but had I needed it in the Korean business, could have been disaster. My dogtags carried one type, and in my 5th year of service, I attempted to donate to Red Cross. Refused due to malaria. However they did determine that my type and Rh was NOT what my dogtags said. This is why any responsible medical facility does type and cross match as required without dumping in any old thing.
Just a word of personal experience from the old guy.
Edited by Vern to remove line 3.