GEORGETOWN, DE -- On Thursday, Sussex County Emergency Medical Services and the Blood Bank of Delmarva celebrated one year of their joint whole blood transfusion program.
SCEMS was the first agency in Delaware to implement the new treatment for patients.
Under the initiative, SCEMS district supervisors each carry a medical-grade biothermal cooler specifically designed to maintain blood at the appropriate temperatures and respond to calls with patients that would benefit from pre-hospital blood administration. The blood is classified as ‘Low-Titer O Positive Whole Blood,’ allowing for administration to any patient, regardless of blood type.
A year later, paramedics in Sussex County have given 54 units of blood to patients en route to a hospital. Jordan Dattoli with Sussex County EMS says those patients would have otherwise died.
"We're seeing people who were not even awake, not able to talk to us," says Dattoli. "But as soon as we start giving them blood, they wake up. Their vital signs improve, they begin to ask us questions. We're calling it reanimation."
To celebrate the anniversary today first responders and many others in Sussex County donated blood at the Emergency Operations Complex in Georgetown.
The donations are a critical part of the program's success.
"Not only did it save my daughter's life, but it has saved numerous people's lives in the year since they've had it," says Trinity Herold, whose daughter's life was saved with a whole blood transfusion in Sussex County. "It can continue to save lives as they keep having people donate blood."
Sussex EMS officials say their goal is to continue expanding the program and save more patients. New Castle County EMS also has the ability to administer whole blood. Paramedics in Kent County are expected to join the initiative within the next few months.
