WASHINGTON, D.C. — Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department are set to mark two years of the District’s Whole Blood Transfusion Program on Wednesday, highlighting a prehospital effort officials say has saved lives since it began in April 2024.
The program, formally called the Prehospital Low-Titer O-Positive Whole Blood program, allows specially trained paramedics to administer whole blood transfusions to critically injured and medically unstable patients at emergency scenes or while they are being transported to a hospital.
City officials said the approach brings critical care closer to the first moments after an emergency. When minutes can determine whether a patient survives, FEMS paramedics can begin transfusions before the patient reaches a hospital.
Since the program launched, FEMS has administered more than 530 units of whole blood to 492 patients, according to the mayor’s office. The release also reported a 93% survival rate among non-traumatic cardiac arrest patients.
The mayor’s office said programs like the Whole Blood Program have helped the District nearly double its cardiac survival score over the past decade, from 22.8% to 44.3%. The release said that figure ties Washington, D.C., for best in the nation.
The anniversary event is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 1, at DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department Engine 15 at 2101 14th Street SE. Expected speakers include Bowser, Deputy Mayor Lindsey Appiah, FEMS Chief John A. Donnelly Sr., FEMS Medical Director Dr. Sean G. Morgan, and Dr. Babak Sarani of George Washington University Hospital.
The Washington Herald
editorial@thewashingtonherald.com
Washington, D.C.
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