New medical service brings blood onboard flights for transfusions
Related Story
MCALLEN – A new medical service in the Rio Grande Valley is aimed at saving lives. A company is now starting to bring packets of blood on their emergency calls.
When the minutes count, there's no time for traffic lights, winding roads or stalled traffic.
AirMed, based in McAllen, responds to severe accidents and trauma cases. The EMS service now brings blood onboard their flights for scenarios where it could mean the difference.
“Probably about ten percent of the patients that we fly would be able to benefit from carrying blood onboard,” says Louis Corbeil, AirMed Flight Director.
Representatives for South Texas Emergency Care Foundation and Med-Care EMS both say they are not currently carrying blood on emergency calls. Both said they are working on finding ways to implement it themselves.
Watch the video for the full story.