Expedited transfusion of plasma to severely injured trauma patients presenting to emergency departments (ED) may reduce overall blood product use and mortality, according to a study published in the journal JAMA Surgery. Using a retrospective cohort analysis of 294 adult trauma patients admitted to a level I trauma center, researchers evaluated the impact of a new program which placed readily available thawed plasma in the ED emergency release blood refrigerator. Prior to the program, thawed plasma had been available to patients from a blood bank close to the ED. Patients who received thawed plasma from the ED refrigerator received plasma earlier than patients admitted before the program was implemented (43 vs. 89 minutes, p< 0.001). In addition, the new program was associated with reduced 24-hour use of RBCs, plasma, and platelets, and decreased odds of 30-day mortality. A prospective randomized study is needed to further understand the effects of early plasma transfusion.
References
