By Jack Lindner
Marietta Daily Journal
COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Just four days after implementing a program that allows paramedics to carry blood products, Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services performed its first successful pre-hospital blood transfusion.
Cobb Fire’s Medical Operations (MedOps) team successfully administered packed red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma to a critical trauma patient while on board a Puckett EMS ambulance after the victim was ejected from their vehicle during a crash on Veterans Memorial Highway in Mableton on Tuesday.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers from the Cobb County Police Department had already applied a tourniquet to a near-amputated limb, and paramedics utilized their newly-implemented equipment to administer life-saving blood products to the victim while en route to Kennestone Hospital. The victim’s life was saved thanks to the quick actions from the first responders, according to a county news release.
“The quick and coordinated efforts between our police officers and paramedics exemplify the highest standard of emergency response,” said Nick Adams, Cobb Fire’s EMS division chief. “This successful administration of blood products in the field significantly improves the patient’s chances of survival.”
The department’s pre-hospital blood transfusion program, which launched Friday, equips select emergency response units with packed red blood cells and plasma, which allows first responders to deliver critical care to patients before they arrive at the hospital.
According to county officials, Cobb Fire is one of the first departments in the state to implement such a program. The initiative was brought to life through a partnership with LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, a nonprofit organization that provides blood products to hospitals and emergency responders across the region.
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