Department of Pathology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
Review Article
Optimizing Trauma Care with Pre-Hospital Blood Transfusion
Author(s): Ritcha Saxena* and Ljiljana V Vasovic
Trauma is the main cause of morbidity and mortality, accounting for 10% of all mortality globally. This is primarily due to the occurrence of hemorrhagic shock. Uncontrolled hemorrhage and its effects, including anemia, hypovolemia, and impaired organ perfusion, necessitate the use of appropriate transfusion and volume resuscitation. For many years, the mainstay of treating trauma-induced bleeding was replenishing lost coagulation factors. The logical belief that coagulopathy should be directly addressed throughout trauma resuscitation has recently been strengthened by a greater knowledge of the pathophysiology of coagulopathy in trauma patients. Crystalloid was originally considered the cornerstone in pre-hospital management of hemorrhagic shock but is now revealed to result in a multitude of complications that raise patient morbidity. The Damage Control Resuscitation (DCR) strategy .. View More»
