Why should medical flights carry blood for emergency transfusions? Most medical flights are short of space and each equipment or supplement is carried only if there is a dire necessity. Then, why is blood carried around when one has to cover several blood types, hoping that one of the blood types would match the victim? That too when not all medical emergencies demand blood transfusions. It might seem unnecessary on the outset but that’s far from the truth.
Today, over 70% of medical flight services carry blood along with them. The fact has positively impacted the lives of hundreds of people, especially those who have been victims of stab wounds or have sustained bleeding injuries. In this context, one must note that only about 10% of the patients who suffer severe bleeding make it to the hospital, in time for treatment.
On-the-Spot Transfusions by Medical Flight Services Save Lives
According to one survey, the number of people requiring blood on the spot has gone up by close to 31% from 2020 to 2021. Imagine, being hours away from the nearest trauma center and bleeding away to death. That’s when medical flight services come to the rescue with on-the-spot blood transfusions. Even the couple of pints that are transfused – as soon as the paramedics encounter the patients – make a huge difference.
Patients with transfused blood have better chances of survival. Blood is the primary carrier of oxygen and when the patient, who has lost a lot of blood is transfused blood well within time, the vital organs like the heart and the brain manage to sustain themselves for longer periods, at least until emergency medical doctors are able to get them the help that they badly need. It could be an emergency surgery or simply more blood transfusions.
People, in general, must come forward to donate blood voluntarily so that there is no shortage of this elixir of life.
