DRF Luftrettung, July 27, 2019 - Since July 17, “Christoph 47”, the EC145 helicopter of the DRF Luftrettung based in Greifswald is the first in Germany to not only carry blood but also plasma in its operations.
Together, the DRF Luftrettung and the University Medical Center Greifswald have succeeded in establishing a scientifically proven procedure that enables the rapid transport of blood products by helicopter. This is particularly important for emergency patients with massive blood loss who can be rescued by rapid blood and blood products directly on the scene.
“Because of their speed, our helicopters are often the first to rescue seriously injured or diseased emergency patients. After successfully testing the procedure, we therefore intend to carry blood and coagulation products as part of the helicopter at selected DRF air rescue stations,” said Jörg Braun, head of medicine at the DRF Luftrettung.
How important this rapid deployment in an emergency is, especially in rural regions such as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, becomes clear: “On an island like Rügen, transport to the appropriate clinic takes well over ten minutes,” said Gregor Jenichen, emergency physician at Greifswald University Medical Center. “This time is crucial: blood products that are very seriously injured in the field, can therefore be life-saving.”
Timm Laslo from the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald as a carrier of the ground-based rescue service welcomes the establishment of this project. Thus, with the help of this project, the quality of care can be further increased.
Until the start of the project was possible, in real operation at the station of the DRF Luftrettung in Greifswald the influence of the special storage and transport conditions in the helicopter on the quality of the blood components and the coagulation factor was examined in numerous tests.
“With the now developed procedure for the safe use of blood products in air rescue, we are improving the emergency medical care of the population sustainably”, explains Dr. med. Krystian Pracz, Director of the DRF Luftrettung. The Foundation of the DRF Luftrettung had supported the research in addition to the practical cooperation also financially in the amount of 15,000 euros.