Page 31 - OctSam2019

UT HEALTH

Many of us went through medical school and deputy director of the Military Health ners that include the San Antonio Medical
learning that blood components were the Institute at UT Health San Antonio, re- Foundation, South Texas blood and Tissue
best way to give transfusions. This approach turned to a wartime solution of years ago: Center, University Health System, the San
also helped stretch donated blood, which whole blood. Antonio Fire department, helicopter EMS
always seems to be in short supply. Given Using whole blood makes sense. Military units and the U.S. Army Institute of Surgi-
this has been the standard approach to studies in the Middle East showed that a cal Research at San Antonio Military Med-
transfusions since the 1970s, it is not unex- quick response – strengthened by a combi- ical Center.
pected that many of us probably would nation of the three blood components or, Also deserving of our thanks is C.J.
never think about using whole blood. in essence, whole blood – provided the best Winckler, Md, who serves as assistant clin-
Our military colleagues, however, have chance for survival. Science also showed ical professor of emergency health sciences
been giving whole blood a second look – that cold-stored whole blood has more vol- and emergency medicine at UT Health San
and we all are the beneficiaries. The reality ume lasting for 35 days and, as a result of Antonio, and as deputy medical director of
is that more than 25 percent of trauma new technology, can be warmed almost in- the San Antonio Fire department EMS.
patients in our region who would have stantly to the exact temperature needed for dr. Winckler conducted extensive research
died before making it to a hospital for a transfusions. using fire department data to produce the
blood transfusion have been saved due to drs. Eastridge and Jenkins took this re- protocol that makes donations of O-posi-
military ingenuity that has been further search into the civilian setting and are now tive whole blood available when and where
developed in the civilian sector by our proving that whole blood is the best option they are needed.
partners in the region. for patients who otherwise would bleed to As word spreads about the value of
death before ever reaching a hospital fol- whole blood, cities, hospitals, EMS sys-
This ingenuity was born out of lowing trauma from vehicular accidents, vi- tems and regional systems throughout the
desperate need. olence or medical events such as maternal United States are now approaching the
hemorrhage and pulmonary bleeding. Southwest Texas Regional Advisory
during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Today, South Texas patients are the first Council and its members to learn how to
too many military personnel, injured from in the nation to receive lifesaving O-posi- implement this new model of care. To-
improvised explosive devices, hemorrhaged tive, cold-stored whole blood transfusions gether with the STRAC and all our other
before they could be flown to a field hos- before they ever reach the hospital. In fact, partners in medicine, I encourage you to
pital. Military physicians, including Army whole blood transfusions are now available take great pride in this unique and stellar
Col. brian Eastridge, Md, now a professor on all medical transport helicopters collaboration through which countless
and chief of the department of Trauma throughout this 26,000-square-mile region. lives are to be saved.
and Emergency Surgery at UT Health San This lifesaving, game-changing protocol is
Antonio, began researching what could be made possible because of a partnership William L. Henrich,
done differently to improve survival. under the Southwest Texas Regional Advi- MD, MACP, a nephrologist
The logistics of performing transfusions sory Council (STRAC), which oversees and professor of medicine, has
on the battlefield with blood components trauma and emergency health care projects been president of UT Health
are complicated, because packed red blood and programs in 22 counties in South Texas, San Antonio since 2009.
cells, platelets and plasma all have different including the entire San Antonio area. With missions of teaching,
storage, testing and temperature require- Emergency response in South Texas has research, healing and commu-
ments. So dr. Eastridge, along with Air been truly transformed, and that could not nity engagement, UT Health San Antonio is one
Force Col. donald Jenkins, Md, now a pro- have been accomplished without the ex- of the country’s leading health sciences universities.
fessor of trauma and emergency surgery pertise of our military and dedicated part- www.UTHealthSA.org.

visit us at www.bcms.org 31