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Pasadena Fire Dept. Saves Lives with Mobile Blood
24 Sep
Summary
- Pasadena Fire Department now provides on-scene blood transfusions.
- The LA DROP program utilizes military-grade equipment for mobile transfusions.
- The program aims to prevent deaths by reducing critical transfusion wait times.
Pasadena Fire Department has joined a significant movement to provide immediate, life-saving blood transfusions at emergency scenes. The department is now equipped with military-grade technology through the LA DROP pilot program, launched last year by LA County Fire. This initiative targets critical cases involving severe bleeding from injuries like gunshots or stabbings.
A recent incident saw paramedics transfuse blood in the street to a 54-year-old man severely injured by a car. This rapid intervention, occurring minutes before reaching a hospital, highlights the program's potential to prevent fatalities.
Pasadena has invested approximately $100,000 to implement this program, including intensive training for its personnel. The department's two battalion rigs are now capable of transfusing blood before patients even enter Huntington Hospital, drastically cutting down critical wait times estimated between 10 to 16 minutes at trauma centers.
