On August 21, 2023, the Maryland Department of State Police (MDSP), Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) and University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) announced a new public-private collaboration for lifesaving trauma response for Marylanders. Whole blood is used for emergency transfusions when minutes are critical, and is now available on board MSP’s fleet of “Trooper” helicopters used in prehospital air medical response for critically injured patients. Whole blood, which is blood that has not been separated into components, contains all of the factors necessary for optimal clotting and has become the blood product of choice for the resuscitation of patients with extreme bleeding at leading trauma centers across the United States and elsewhere over the last five years. The “Blood on Board” project began with an initial roll out on May 10th starting with Trooper 1 (Martin State Airport in Baltimore County) and Trooper 2 (Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County) to ensure all necessary logistical details were working as planned. The project was expanded to the remaining five Maryland State Police Aviation Command bases during the month of July. Maryland is the first state in the country to offer this lifesaving Blood on Board initiative […]
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