EMS Chiefs Association Endorses Prehospital Blood Transfusions

The International Association of EMS Chiefs (IAEMSC) issued a position statement on Monday endorsing prehospital blood transfusion and calling upon every emergency medical service (EMS) system in the United States to “urgently prioritize” the implementation of prehospital blood transfusion programs.

In the statement, IAEMSC emphasized that it is critical for the EMS field to continuously adopt new methods and practices to enhance the standard of care and improve patient outcomes. Data from multiple studies have demonstrated the potential benefits of prehospital blood transfusion, the statement noted; it also underscored the potential of prehospital transfusion to improve survival rates and reduce the risk of in-hospital complications.

IAEMSC cited the experience of the U.S. military and EMS transfusion programs within civilian EMS paramedic systems. “The ability of paramedics to safely, rapidly, effectively and independently, without on-scene physician oversight or involvement, administer blood products via transfusion has been definitively proven,” the statement read.

Furthermore, IAEMSC believes that the provision of prehospital blood transfusion should be prioritized at the national and regional levels and that patient access to prehospital blood transfusion should be recognized as a fundamental patient right.

IAEMSC concluded by urging civilian EMS systems to move rapidly to implement and operationalize regional prehospital blood transfusion programs. The organization also encouraged close involvement of EMS leaders and providers with trauma surgeons, blood banks and EMS service physician medical advisors to accelerate the development, standardization and implementation of protocols and procedures to rapidly deliver transfusions to patients at the scene.