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Airlift Northwest doing in-flight blood transfusions

UW Medicine's Airlift Northwest now flies blood directly to trauma patients, which can save precious time and lives.
Flight nurses now bring blood to trauma patients, instead of waiting for the hospital.

Medical airlift teams that transport trauma patients in Washington state are now able to provide in-flight blood transfusions.

Crews with Airlift Northwest, which is run by UW Medicine, have been carrying two units of both liquid plasma and red blood cells on board since last July. Fight nurses can give the patient an emergency blood transfusion, if necessary, instead of waiting until the patient reaches the hospital.

“Many years ago the thought was to give IV fluids (until reaching the hospital),” said flight nurse Claire Clark.

But Airlift Northwest’s medical director Dr. Rich Utarnachitt said the idea of in-flight transfusions was studied by the military.

“What we’re drawing upon is coming out of military experience in the last few years with blood transfusions being done on soldiers in the field and that there’s benefit in survival,” he said.

Airlift Northwest operates airlift transport from six locations in Washington state and one in Alaska. It either facilitates transfers from hospital-to-hospital or airlifts trauma patients after incidents like car crashes.

“It’s really a life-saving measure that we can give immediately to patients that we pick up,” said Clark.

The blood products are sealed and stored in a cooler.

"We cycle each box out from the bases back to Harborview in seven days cycles," said Dr. Utarnachitt. "So even if it's not used (by Airlift Northwest), it'll still be used in the trauma center, so we're not wasting any blood."

Dr. Utarnachitt added the blood products need to be stored at a particular temperature.

"We have a special monitor in all of the boxes," said Dr. Utarnachitt. "It can determine the temperature to ensure that blood is never outside the temperature range of one-to-six degrees Celsius."

The blood is provided by Bloodworks Northwest with help from Harborview Transfusion Services.

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