The “golden hour” – the critical first 60 minutes after traumatic injury – has long been recognized as the window where rapid medical intervention can mean the difference between life and death.
With every minute delay in blood transfusion increasing mortality risk by 2%, optimizing blood management during this crucial period is paramount.
Here are three important initiatives addressing blood availability and hemorrhage control:
Prehospital Blood Transfusion Initiative Coalition
Prehospital Blood Transfusion Initiative Coalition aims to expand access to prehospital blood transfusion across the US. The initiative addresses key challenges including reimbursement, scope of practice, and logistics for implementing blood programs in EMS settings.
“Exsanguination remains the leading cause of preventable deaths among victims of trauma with nearly half of these patients dying in the prehospital setting”
”Every 1-minute delay in prehospital resuscitation was associated with 2% increase in the odds of 30 day mortality”
– Prehospital Blood Transfusion Initiative Coalition
ACS Stop the Bleed
Stop the Bleed is a global initiative by the American College of Surgeons that has trained nearly 4 million people worldwide in life-saving bleeding control techniques.
The program offers hands-on courses teaching participants how to recognize life-threatening bleeding and intervene effectively, with a goal of training 200 million people in these critical emergency response skills.
Ready to get trained? Choose an online, interactive course or find a course near you on their website.
TQIP Best Practices Guidelines for Massive Transfusion Protocol
ACS’ TQIP guidelines for massive transfusion protocols (MTP) in trauma care provide comprehensive recommendations for managing severe hemorrhage in trauma patients through coordinated blood product administration.
Conclusion
These trauma care initiatives equip trauma programs with standardized protocols, training resources, and system integration tools… to help improve Golden Hour success.
By optimizing blood product availability, streamlining delivery systems, and enhancing prehospital capabilities, trauma programs can deliver lifesaving interventions faster and more efficiently.
This can translate to measurable improvements in mortality rates, resource utilization, and overall trauma care quality.
