>On 11 November 2023, Azov brigade combat medic Rina Reznik reported a milestone event: her colleague successfully performed a blood transfusion under trench conditions. This remarkable achievement signifies that with expanded training for combat medics, the potential to save more Ukrainian soldiers through transfusions will rise in the future.
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>In the majority of cases, transfusions are expected to be conducted in vehicles during the evacuation process to either stabilization points or hospitals. Timely whole blood transfusions are crucial for buying time for the wounded to reach a hospital.
>
>However, the reality in Ukraine does not permit the luxury of helicopter evacuations for the wounded. Even evacuation in armored vehicles is not always a safe option, as they cannot always protect from shelling. Consequently, transporting the injured to a hospital or even to a stabilization point within the “golden hour” is often an unattainable mission. Sometimes evacuations can extend up to 10 or 12 hours, during which combat medics, trained in advanced trauma care, stay with the injured, Reznik explained in her article for Dzerkalo Tyzhnia.
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>That’s why the first instance of a blood transfusion in the trench holds such significance. Given the considerable challenges of transportation, it provides an opportunity to save those wounded who might have perished to their injuries en route to a stabilization point.
​
>The successful execution of such a transfusion requires not only well-trained personnel but also specific equipment. In her comment to Euromaidan Press, Reznik listed critical items needed for the procedure:
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>• Professional fluid warmers and associated consumables (specifically, the Thermal Angel, Mequ, and QinFlow models),
>
>• Refrigerators (Delta brand or automobile refrigerators capable of maintaining a temperature setting of 2-6 degrees Celsius, with a capacity not exceeding 10 liters) and thermoses for blood storage (such as Coolcube, Credocube),
>
>• Rapid blood type testing kits,
>
>• “Golden-hour” blood containers designed for a single blood pack,
>
>• Blood transfusion systems,
>
>• Pressure infusion cuffs for blood transfusion,
>
>• Vehicles for transporting the wounded (preferably Nissan Patrol).
​
>The Azov battalion has been instrumental in this evolution, having started training its medics in blood transfusions in 2020. This training proved essential, especially during the Azovstal plant siege, lasting 86 days, where medics performed transfusions under siege conditions, often being the sole chance for survival for the defenders.
​
>One of the first successful reported transfusions indicates Ukraine’s progress towards NATO standards in tactical medicine. Despite challenges in securing the necessary equipment for transfusions and other emergency care, Ukraine is at the forefront of implementing battlefield blood transfusions in wartime, setting an example that could reshape the understanding and capabilities of tactical medicine globally.
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Article excerpts:
>On 11 November 2023, Azov brigade combat medic Rina Reznik reported a milestone event: her colleague successfully performed a blood transfusion under trench conditions. This remarkable achievement signifies that with expanded training for combat medics, the potential to save more Ukrainian soldiers through transfusions will rise in the future.
>
>In the majority of cases, transfusions are expected to be conducted in vehicles during the evacuation process to either stabilization points or hospitals. Timely whole blood transfusions are crucial for buying time for the wounded to reach a hospital.
>
>However, the reality in Ukraine does not permit the luxury of helicopter evacuations for the wounded. Even evacuation in armored vehicles is not always a safe option, as they cannot always protect from shelling. Consequently, transporting the injured to a hospital or even to a stabilization point within the “golden hour” is often an unattainable mission. Sometimes evacuations can extend up to 10 or 12 hours, during which combat medics, trained in advanced trauma care, stay with the injured, Reznik explained in her article for Dzerkalo Tyzhnia.
>
>That’s why the first instance of a blood transfusion in the trench holds such significance. Given the considerable challenges of transportation, it provides an opportunity to save those wounded who might have perished to their injuries en route to a stabilization point.
​
>The successful execution of such a transfusion requires not only well-trained personnel but also specific equipment. In her comment to Euromaidan Press, Reznik listed critical items needed for the procedure:
>
>• Professional fluid warmers and associated consumables (specifically, the Thermal Angel, Mequ, and QinFlow models),
>
>• Refrigerators (Delta brand or automobile refrigerators capable of maintaining a temperature setting of 2-6 degrees Celsius, with a capacity not exceeding 10 liters) and thermoses for blood storage (such as Coolcube, Credocube),
>
>• Rapid blood type testing kits,
>
>• “Golden-hour” blood containers designed for a single blood pack,
>
>• Blood transfusion systems,
>
>• Pressure infusion cuffs for blood transfusion,
>
>• Vehicles for transporting the wounded (preferably Nissan Patrol).
​
>The Azov battalion has been instrumental in this evolution, having started training its medics in blood transfusions in 2020. This training proved essential, especially during the Azovstal plant siege, lasting 86 days, where medics performed transfusions under siege conditions, often being the sole chance for survival for the defenders.
​
>One of the first successful reported transfusions indicates Ukraine’s progress towards NATO standards in tactical medicine. Despite challenges in securing the necessary equipment for transfusions and other emergency care, Ukraine is at the forefront of implementing battlefield blood transfusions in wartime, setting an example that could reshape the understanding and capabilities of tactical medicine globally.
Amazing. Please keep supporting their efforts.