Minutes count, especially when someone is suffering from a life-threatening injury that may cause them to lose blood quickly.

According to the Stop the Bleed Coalition, between 31,000 to 60,000 Americans die each year from blood loss, often within minutes of injury.

A new program from Allegheny Health Network aims to help by mitigate blood shortages while saving lives — including in rural Butler County.

Data from EMS.gov, a division of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, lists severe bleeding as the leading cause of preventable death from major trauma. One way the organization recommends tackling the issue is by delivering blood products efficiently through EMS. Doing so provides the greatest chance for stabilizing a patient in the field.

Paramedic response units can now pick up blood from AHN’s Wexford Hospital through its prehospital blood program for use in the field. Patient outcomes for critically injured and ill patients improve dramatically when first responders can administer needed blood before their patients reach the hospital.

North Washington is a deployment area for the new program. It can serve a four-county area, according to information from AHN Wexford. Rural areas were chosen because of their potential to have the most impact since they are farther away from hospitals with emergency rooms and trauma units.

Not only does this prehospital blood program stand to save lives — it is finding a creative way to do so while respecting the ongoing blood donation shortage. The American Red Cross sounded the alarm in July, noting its blood supply had dropped by nearly 25% in June alone. Blood banks have come up with some creative ways to encourage donations.

In the meantime, to prevent wasting this life-saving resource, blood supplies for the prehospital blood program are stored in military-grade refrigeration units with enhanced temperature control.

Knowing donated blood is not being needlessly wasted may encourage more people to give — some for the first time. That’s a win-win situation for everyone.

— SLB