Severe bleeding is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in trauma patients in the United States, especially among victims of car accidents. Approximately 42 percent of patients who survive a car accident and are alive by the time emergency services arrive die from uncontrollable bleeding. By getting blood transfusions prior to arriving at the hospital, patients have a higher likelihood of survival.

Researchers at the UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery have received a $333,000 grant through the Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program to develop a plan aimed at reducing post-crash fatality in Central Alabama.

The grant will be put toward developing a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan to support the implementation of pre-hospital blood transfusion and telehealth-enhanced EMS care for crash victims. Central Alabama faces high post-crash deaths, many of them due to uncontrolled bleeding. UAB experts say these deaths could be preventable with prompt bleeding control and blood transfusion.

In addition to prehospital blood transfusions, real-time telehealth support from trauma care experts can empower EMS providers in delivering lifesaving care closer to the scene of injury.