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Whole blood in paediatric trauma: early program data
Prehospital Whole Blood Resuscitation in Pediatric Patients: A San Antonio Cohort Descriptive
Prehospital Emergency Care · 2026-11-10 · Added 12 November 2026
A US retrospective cohort from San Antonio Fire Department's mature prehospital whole-blood program described 73 paediatric recipients (4.3% of 1,703 transfusions, 2018–2025): mostly adolescent males with penetrating trauma, 45% with an elevated age-adjusted shock index and 50% surviving to discharge.
- Study type
- Cohort
- Design
- Retrospective observational cohort
- Participants
- 73 paediatric whole-blood recipients (of 1,703 total transfusions)
- Main finding
- Trauma caused 96% of paediatric transfusions (74% gunshot, 84% all penetrating); 45% had elevated age-adjusted SIPA, 20% were pulseless; survival 50%, died 39%, unknown 11%; younger children showed the largest drop in shock index after resuscitation
- Caveat
- Descriptive single-program cohort with no comparator, and 11% of outcomes unknown
- Bottom line
- Context only
Why it matters in Australia (Medium relevance). Prehospital blood is limited to a few Australian services, so this informs the debate more than current practice — but TXA and intraosseous access are standard, and paediatric trauma physiology is universal.
Learning goal
Strengthen my judgement on recognising paediatric haemorrhagic shock and when prehospital blood transfusion is indicated.
More
- Topic: Paediatrics
- Daily scan: 12 November 2026
- Podcast: Paramedic Papers Daily, 12 November 2026
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