By Jill Harmacinski
The Eagle-Tribune
LAWRENCE, Mass. 鈥� The patient is hemorrhaging blood after being shot, stabbed, hit by a car or hurt in an accident.
No longer do patients in the Merrimack Valley have to wait for a blood transfusion until they get to the emergency room. An elite group of Lawrence General Hospital paramedics now have the training and the whole blood needed to provide lifesaving transfusions right at the accident scene.
LGH paramedics are just the second emergency medical services provider in the state equipped to provide emergency-room level trauma treatment in the field. Their training allows them to provide the transfusions within a 30-mile radius of Lawrence.
| Watch for more: On demand: Bringing whole blood to the front lines of EMS
鈥淭he sooner a patient with a severe hemorrhage has blood product replaced, the better the chances are for survival ... We are cutting down on that time delay,鈥� explained Ryan Mueller, a veteran LGH paramedic trained to transfuse blood.
Patients in Andover and North Andover received field transfusions by LGH paramedics this past week.
When injured, every minute that goes by without a transfusion increases the chance of death by 5 percent, he noted.
The 鈥渃ritical care intervention鈥� is a literal lifesaver, said Mueller, who has also worked on Medflight helicopters.
鈥淲e anticipate we are going to be doing this at a steady clip,鈥� he said.
The initiative is funded in part by a grant from the Department of Homeland Security through the Northeast Homeland Security Regional Advisory Council .
Whole blood鈥攃ontaining all its natural components, including red blood cells, plasma, and platelets鈥攐ffers a significant advantage over the 鈥渃omponent therapy鈥� typically used in hospitals, where patients receive only one blood component at a time.
Administering whole blood at the site of injury can be a faster, more effective, and potentially life-saving treatment for patients experiencing severe or internal bleeding.
鈥淭wo-hundred-and-seventy-five-thousand people die each year from traumatic injuries that require blood transfusions,鈥� said Paul Brennan , Lawrence General鈥檚 EMS and public safety director.
鈥淎s a paramedic for 40 years, I have witnessed firsthand the critical benefits of whole blood transfusions. Now, LGH is doing its part to ensure all patients can receive this life-saving treatment when they need it,鈥� Brennan said.
LGH is second only to the town of Canton when it comes to carrying whole blood on its ambulances, officials said.
At LGH, the process involved obtaining a special project waiver from the state Department of Public Health and undergoing a rigorous 18-month evaluation process. The program formally began in December 2024.
Working in tandem with the American Red Cross and Lawrence General鈥檚 in-house blood bank, Lawrence General鈥檚 EMS team maintains its own two-unit blood supply that is kept in a temperature-controlled cooler and brought on ambulance runs 鈥� used if necessary 鈥� before being swapped out every 48 hours.
LGH鈥檚 ambulance service has roughly 30 paramedics and 30 emergency medical technicians.
With this program, LGH鈥檚 ambulance service, which also serves Andover, North Andover, and Methuen, enhances its role as a regional resource for traumatic injuries, operating as the only Level III Trauma Center in the area.
If necessary, Lawrence General paramedics can travel up to 30 minutes or 30 miles to bring life-saving transfusions to patients 15 years of age and older, according to information provided by hospital officials.
Lawrence General is also one of only four ambulance services in the state authorized to administer paralytic medication, or neuromuscular blocking agents, which are powerful muscle relaxants used to prevent movement during surgical procedures and intubation.
Nationally, trauma is the leading cause of death for individuals aged 1-45 years old. An estimated 40 million emergency room visits in the U.S. annually come from trauma-related injuries.
漏 2025 The Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, Mass.).
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