San Antonio has been under the spotlight of first responders worldwide for the last five years, with Dr. CJ Winckler, deputy medical director of the San Antonio Fire Department, highlighting the city’s unique emergency medical services (EMS) system. This system is the first and only metropolitan EMS in America to carry whole blood for transfusions. The initiative involves eight city EMS vehicles equipped with whole blood that can be administered to individuals at risk of bleeding to death before reaching the hospital.
The availability of whole blood for transfusions has been life-saving in various scenarios such as blunt hemorrhagic shock patients from car accidents, penetrating trauma cases involving gunshot or knife wounds, and even complicated pregnancy-related emergencies. Dr. Winckler shared a specific incident involving a young mother experiencing severe bleeding who was successfully treated with a transfusion in a critical situation.
The results have been impressive, with an increase in saving the lives of blunt trauma patients demonstrating the significant impact of this prehospital blood transfusion program. Dr. Winckler emphasized the valuable lessons learned over the past five years and how San Antonio has become a model for others in the country and around the world seeking guidance on implementing similar programs.
Science & Medicine explores groundbreaking scientific discoveries in San Antonio that are transforming medicine both locally and globally through a collaborative effort between TPR and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
