Banner Health helicopters are now equipped with two bags of O-negative blood — an effort to improve outcomes for trauma patients who need to be airlifted to a hospital.
All helicopters with BannerAir, the Phoenix-based system's air medical transplant program, now carry O-negative blood. That's the most common type needed for emergency transfusions when patients are experiencing massive blood loss.
"Time is often a key factor for patients in these situations, and the ability for them to receive blood in the prehospital setting will make treatment more streamlined and increase the likelihood for more positive outcomes," said Richard Swedbergh, chief operating officer for Banner Health emergency transportation.
To protect supplies, the temperature of the blood is constantly monitored so any unused units can go back to the hospital for inpatient use. The effort is the result of a partnership between the health system and Laboratory Sciences of Arizona, a Banner subsidiary that manages its hospital blood bank.