HAMPSHIRE'S Air Ambulance is set to trial ‘whole blood’ on patients with major blood loss to improve their chance of survival. 

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance are taking part in a pioneering whole-blood trial to determine whether they can reduce the number of deaths and the need for further large blood transfusions in patients with life-threatening bleeding.  

The SWIFT (Study of Whole blood In Frontline Trauma) trial, in partnership with nine other Air Ambulance charities, is now being rolled out across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

READ MORE: Call for more to be done to help residents facing fuel poverty

When blood is donated, it is split into three separate components including red blood cells, plasma and platelets.

This separation enables patients to receive the component that they are missing. Most patients do not require more than a transfusion of red blood cells. 

In the UK, patients who are in desperate need of a blood transfusion before they arrive at hospital are given blood made up of red blood cells and plasma. Platelets, the part of the cell which helps blood to clot, must be stored at a set temperature and need constant movement to keep them oxygenated, meaning they are difficult to carry and store on an air ambulance. 

Whole blood is as it is taken from the arm of the donor. It is the complete package and contains all these individual components in one bag. 

Dr Laura Green, co-chief investigator for SWIFT and consultant in haemostasis and transfusion medicine at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “The role of air ambulances in providing blood transfusions at the scene of an incident is crucial - delivering the most challenging treatments in the most challenging environments.

SEE ALSO: Utopia Adaway organises charity fundraiser in Basingstoke

"Any delay to starting transfusion during traumatic blood loss can reduce the chances of survival. We hope that SWIFT will show there are logistical and procedural benefits in giving a blood transfusion of all of the components in a single bag – and ultimately improved outcomes for patients."

A spokesperson from the charity added: “Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance exists to save lives and improve outcomes for those who are critically ill or injured in the region.

"We are always seeking to support clinical innovations that could help to increase the chances of survival and long-term recovery.  This trial has the potential to shape the wider use of blood transfusion in out-of-hospital care and we are excited to have the opportunity to be involved from this early stage.”