DOVER — The Kent County Emergency Medical Services Division (EMS) joined Blood Bank of Delmarva’s (BBD) low titer o positive pre-hospital whole blood program on Nov. 12 to provide comprehensive coverage in Delaware for this lifesaving product.

“Kent County EMS is immensely proud to join this statewide effort to elevate emergency care for trauma patients,” Kent County EMS Deputy Chief John Tinger said. “With our team now equipped to provide whole blood transfusions on-site, we’re strengthening our ability to save lives during those critical moments following a traumatic injury.

“The addition of whole blood to our toolkit allows our paramedics to provide the highest level of care where it’s needed most - right at the scene,” he said. “This initiative not only represents a step forward for Delaware as a leader in pre-hospital emergency medicine, but it also reflects our deep commitment to the well-being of every resident and visitor in our county. We look forward to building on this partnership with the Blood Bank of Delmarva to ensure our communities have access to life-saving treatment.”

The pre-hospital whole blood initiative was a pilot program brought about through the work of the State Division of Public Health - Office of Emergency Medical Services, New Castle County EMS, and Sussex County EMS in 2023.

This product provides paramedics with the ability to transfuse whole blood to trauma victims out in the field, accident scenes, shootings, and other traumatic events. Prior to pre-hospital whole blood, the best paramedics could do was give trauma patients saline.

"There is increasing evidence for the lifesaving benefits of pre-hospital whole blood transfusion,” BBD Senior Director of Laboratories Kristin Frederick said. “In a trauma situation, replacing volume loss with fluids that most closely resemble what the patient is bleeding will not only increase oxygen carrying capacity but also promote clotting and support better patient outcomes overall.

“We are so thrilled to have Kent County EMS join in this state-of-the-art, lifesaving effort.”

Five units of whole blood will be deployed within the state’s three counties, two in northern Delaware, one in central Delaware, and two in southern Delaware. BBD supported the EMS teams, validating the overall process, from temperature monitoring to equipment qualification.

Ms. Frederick said there are strict regulations in place that must be followed to store, transport, and transfuse blood in a pre-hospital setting. The blood must maintain cold chain storage temperatures of 1-6 degrees Celsius and last up to 21 days.

Low titer type o positive whole blood allows for safe transfusion to any patient, regardless of blood type, Ms. Frederick added.

With the addition of Kent County, Ms. Frederick urged more people to step up and donate blood. According to America’s Blood Centers, 62 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood, yet only 3 percent donate. 

“For this initiative to be truly successful, we need the continued support of our community in the form of blood donations to support this life-saving program,” she said.