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The need for dried plasma – a national issue
Author(s) -
Pusateri Anthony E.,
Butler Frank K.,
Shackelford Stacy A.,
Sperry Jason L.,
Moore Ernest E.,
Cap Andrew P.,
Taylor Audra L.,
Homer Mary J.,
Hoots W. Keith,
Weiskopf Richard B.,
Davis Michael R.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1111/trf.15261
Subject(s) - medicine , blood product , food and drug administration , medical emergency , mass casualty , intensive care medicine , preparedness , blood transfusion , fresh frozen plasma , emergency medicine , surgery , political science , platelet , law
Recent studies have demonstrated that early transfusion of plasma or RBCs improves survival in patients with severe trauma and hemorrhagic shock. Time to initiate transfusion is the critical factor. It is essential that transfusion begin in the prehospital environment when transport times are longer than approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Unfortunately, logistic constraints severely limit the use of blood products in the prehospital setting, especially in military, remote civilian, and mass disaster circumstances, where the need can be most acute. US military requirements for logistically supportable blood products are projected to increase dramatically in future conflicts. Although dried plasma products have been available and safely used in a number of countries for over 20 years, there is no dried plasma product commercially available in the United States. A US Food and Drug Administration–approved dried plasma is urgently needed. Considering the US military, disaster preparedness, and remote civilian trauma perspectives, this is an urgent national health care issue.