N.C. Service Brings Whole Blood to Field

North Carolina's Onslow County EMS has teamed with the Blood Connection, a local network of donation centers, to bring whole blood to the field in Onslow County ambulances. With the capability crews will be able to start administering needed blood before patients reach local trauma centers. 

Onslow County is one of the first EMS systems in North Carolina—and one of only a few in the country—to carry whole blood.

“This project is a game changer for trauma care in Eastern North Carolina and represents a paradigm shift in how we treat patients moving forward,” division boss Dave Grovdahl told local site JBNews.com. 

Onslow EMS averages about 400 major trauma cases a year. It also carries items such as tourniquets, hemostatic gauze, and other measures to control bleeding.