DALLAS, Texas (Ivanhoe Newswire) – This year, more than 37 million people will be rushed to the E.R. suffering from traumas – the most common reason is falls followed by car accidents and violence-related injures such as gunshot wounds, stabbings, and assaults. Now, doctors are taking a procedure that was used in the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan to save lives here at home. Whole Blood
Case Jones is up at dawn working the ranch, riding horses, wrangling cattle, and hog hunting.
“We had our thermal scopes, and we were using them to shoot feral hogs,” Case explains.
But in the dark of night, his friend accidently shot him.
Case adds, “I started running to try to get behind a tree and he still ended up shooting me.”
Trauma surgeon at Baylor Scott & White Health – Temple, Dr. Scott Sagraves, MD, emphasizes, “His liver was almost split in half by the bullet.”
Dr. Sagraves has 20 years of dealing with life and death injuries, but recently, how he’s treated them has changed.
“We now have whole blood for our injured patients,” Dr. Sagraves explains.
Traditionally, trauma patients receive donated blood that is broken down into red blood cells or platelets or plasma. But trauma patients who have lost a lot of blood need it all, and that’s called whole blood. Studies show it improves coagulation, decreases the risk of infections and blood related diseases. After three weeks in the hospital, and some help from his wife Kristen, Case is slowly getting back up to speed and doing what he was born to do.
“With God’s grace, I’m able to do what I’ve always done and had a full recovery,” Case expresses.
Most whole blood donors are type O, which is a universal donor and can be used on any patient, no matter their blood type. Whole blood units go through a 48-hour testing period and can be refrigerated up to 21 days. The shelf life for traditional donated blood is 42 days.
Contributors to this news report include Marsha Lewis, Producer; Deke Jones, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor.
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MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
TOPIC: SAVING A COWBOY: TREATING TRAUMAS WITH WHOLE BLOOD
REPORT: MB #5120
BACKGROUND: Traumatic injuries are the foremost cause of disability and death in the United States. Accidents that cause traumatic injuries often lead to invasive surgeries. Most victims are diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and struggle tremendously to return to their daily lifestyle. Most cases of trauma result in immediate hospital surgery and mental health issues from the time the accident occurred.
(Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5269564/)
DIAGNOSING: Traumatic injuries involving the brain will usually require a neurological exam.
To diagnose an injury, a doctor will typically use imaging tests such as CT and MRI scans. These will help detect bleeding and the category of the injury. Symptoms of traumatic injuries include headaches, nausea, behavioral changes, memory deficiency, and confusion. Injuries involving trauma will always require immediate medical attention even in less extreme cases. Symptoms differ from patient to patient and can worsen quickly if not treated when problems first arise. Around 75% of traumatic injuries that occur are mild, but still contain a high level of danger.
NEW TECHNOLOGY: Surgery remains the gold standard treatment option for traumatic injuries. With better trained rescue teams, the number of people surviving accidents has skyrocketed in the last decade. New efforts are being taken that have improved the resuscitation processes in traumatic accidents. Professionals have found better ways to revive trauma patients through blood donations. When enough is available, it’s been effective to treat patients with blood and proteins. Blood and plasma donations are needed to perform new and effective treatments to injured trauma patients. With better trained rescue teams, the number of people surviving accidents has skyrocketed in the last decade.
(Source: https://www.east.org/content/documents/2014_sagraves_presidential_address.pdf)
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT:
Deke Jones
(214) 820-6722
If this story or any other Ivanhoe story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Marjorie Bekaert Thomas at mthomas@ivanhoe.com
