BEACONS

In a simulated car crash on Monday, Hillsborough County first responders demonstrated how a new drone program can deliver blood to patients in emergencies.

The program — the first of its kind in the nation — is geared toward patients suffering critical bleeding and requiring a blood transfusion at the scene. When a 911 operator or paramedic requests the blood, the drone can deliver it in 3½ minutes or less, allowing first responders to begin the transfusion before the patient ever reaches a hospital.

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue partnered with Tampa General Hospital, Archer First Response Systems and OneBlood on the program.

“Whole blood is the lifesaving treatment for patients who are bleeding and in shock. For years, emergency medical services have given intravenous fluids to raise blood pressure, hoping to keep patients alive until they can make it to the hospital for blood or surgical care intervention,” said Todd Carnell, division chief at Hillsborough Fire Rescue. “The approach is not enough for patients who need blood now.”

After a traffic crash, postpartum hemorrhage, shooting or stabbing, blood loss can be significant, and every second matters.

“Delivery of the blood using drone technology to the scene of an event, that’s game-changing,” said Dr. Jason Wilson, chief of emergency medicine at Tampa General Hospital. “We haven’t seen that anywhere else really in the world.”