Transfusion medicine – making a difference!

VGH Transfusion Medicine Service (TMS) and the BCAS Critical Care Paramedics (CCP) received a “big congratulations” for their part in providing emergency blood for a patient. What is the connection between VGH and a small community 400 km from a Level 2 Care facility?

Responding to remote areas.

Last year a joint pilot program was initiated to provide BCAS CCPs’ urgent access to emergency Red Cells for a critical care transport. When the protocol is activated, the technologist packs 2 to 4 units of Group O negative Red Cells in a small cooler which is picked up and transported to the airport. All standards for patient testing, blood storage and documentation were considered to ensure both patient and product safety which included reducing the risk for wastage of this precious donated resource.

During the past summer this message was forwarded to the VGH TMS staff from a BCAS CCP, “Crew just got back…spent the night with several critically ill patients and emergency transfusion was required. The CCP Crew had to fly North and drive to an outpost clinic. Weather went down and the team had to sit tight until the skies cleared. The local doc was blown away when they walked in with a blood supply in hand. The whole town came out in the morning for a send off at the airport. This is the call we built the blood program for and it worked. Please let your technologists know they made a huge difference last night! , your contribution is greatly appreciated.”