This browser does not support the Video element.
Grant for pre-hospital blood transfusions
FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the City of Tampa Fire Rescue a $1.4 million grant to launch a pre-hospital blood transfusion program, allowing paramedics to give trauma patients blood at the scene or en route to the hospital.
The NHTSA dolled out $50 million in grants to 25 communities nationwide chosen for this federal initiative aimed at reducing traffic deaths. Tampa was the only community in Florida selected for the program.
READ: Bay Area health care systems expanding as region continues to see major growth
Dig deeper:
Data showed severe blood loss is the leading cause of preventable death in trauma cases. Nearly half of patients who suffer major traumatic injuries die before they ever reach a hospital.
"It can be frustrating, knowing that someone was just one step away from being salvageable, or just having better outcomes," said Dr. Andrew Thomas, an ER physician with Tampa General Hospital and USF Health.
Data showed that giving blood to trauma patients in the field can reduce deaths by up to 37%.
MORE: Why Americans are facing rising health insurance costs
"This is very orchestrated care," Thomas said. "You have a lot of people working together toward one goal."
What they're saying:
NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said the program is modeled after trauma care techniques developed during U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, where early blood transfusions dramatically improved survival rates.
"We are facing an ongoing crisis in traffic fatalities," Morrison said. "Every year, we have about 40,000 fatalities on our roads. But, we're trying to take efforts to really bring these numbers down. One of the more creative approaches to bringing those numbers down is focusing on post-crash care."
The agency awarded $50 million total to help EMS agencies nationwide, purchase equipment, train paramedics and build systems capable of safely storing and administering blood outside of hospitals. Nationwide, only about 2% of EMS agencies currently have pre-hospital blood programs.
READ: Nursing student helps save a man believed to be overdosing
"We’re leaning in and trying to expand something that has already shown success," Morrison said.
What's next:
Thomas has been involved in setting up the program locally and said they hope to begin offering pre-hospital blood transfusions later this month.
"We've seen our colleagues and other agencies across the country utilizing blood in the pre-hospital setting, and they get these cases of good saves, heroic saves or benefits. And so, we're hoping to bring that same advanced service here to our patients in Tampa," said Thomas.
NHTSA said the program will run for five years, with researchers closely monitoring outcomes to improve the model and potentially expand it to other cities. The City of Tampa and Tampa Fire Rescue told FOX 13 they are waiting for the grant to be finalized before discussing the program.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered during interviews with the NHTSA administrator as well as an ER physician with TGH and USF Health. It also includes data on the program.