In emergencies, there’s no time to spare. And in health care, any efforts to accelerate care are crucial to saving lives and should be applauded.

In the Wednesday edition of the Butler Eagle, we reported how UPMC Passavant — Cranberry added the ability to carry and administer blood during emergencies to its Advanced Response Unit.

“Delivering blood to patients prior to arrival at the hospital improves outcomes and increases survival rates from trauma and hemorrhage,” said Dr. Alan Shapiro, EMS medical director at UPMC Passavant.

Based at Cranberry Township hospital, the unit serves Butler, Beaver and Allegheny counties.

It got its start in 2021. The unit operates at all hours of the day and goes out with local EMS teams for high-risk calls. The unit is equipped with paramedics, prehospital nurses and two units of Type O blood, which is critical in situations where a patient is experiencing severe blood loss.

It will save lives, undoubtedly, and is the result of a policy change by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The decision, made late last year, allows specially trained paramedics to administer blood in the field.

Before, paramedics could only give intravenous fluids like saline.

Kudos to the Department of Health for the change, to UPMC Passavant for its quick action in implementing the change and to those who donate the blood that is used on the unit.

— TL