Guilford County Emergency Medical Services (GCEMS) in partnership with the Cone Health Blood Bank announces the launch of its whole blood program following more than a year of planning. This pre-hospital medical initiative expands life-saving capabilities for critically injured patients across Guilford County. The program enables specially trained Guilford EMS paramedics to administer whole blood to select critical trauma patients in the field, significantly increasing long-term survival and positive patient outcomes
Of approximately 15,000 EMS agencies in the United States, fewer than 400 systems carry whole blood or blood products. With this launch, Guilford EMS becomes the first large urban EMS system in North Carolina to implement a pre-hospital whole blood program. To support this capability, Guilford EMS supervisor trucks have been modified to carry specialized coolers that maintain blood products at the temperatures required for safe field administration.
Whole blood administration is utilized extensively in military medicine. Until recently, EMS clinicians responding to life-threatening hemorrhage have been generally limited to controlling the bleeding and transporting patients to a local trauma center. With the launch of this program, Guilford EMS providers can now replace blood volume lost from traumatic injury. This new capability can dramatically improve outcomes for critically injured patients.
"Trauma remains a leading cause of death for patients in Guilford County," said Hannah Muthersbaugh, Guilford County Emergency Services Associate EMS Chief Medical Officer. "Field transfusion of whole blood slows the clock and gives our providers time to get these critical patients to a hospital."
While not every trauma patient will require or qualify for whole blood, the ability to provide this intervention in the field represents a significant advancement in the Guilford EMS mission to ensure every person in Guilford County has access to life-saving care and critical resources.
"With this program, our specially trained paramedics can now replace the blood patients have lost before they reach the emergency department," said Jim Albright, Guilford County Emergency Services Director. "This is about giving patients the best possible chance at survival, starting the moment we arrive on scene."
Guilford EMS is committed to evidence-based, community-centered emergency care. The whole blood program reflects the organization's ongoing dedication to adopting innovations to serve the residents of Guilford County with the most advanced pre-hospital care available. The support and partnership from Melissa Dugenske and Dr. John Patrick with Cone Health Blood Bank have been crucial to the successful launch of this program.