04 Feb Battlefield Tested Transfusion Strategy Improves Outcomes

MedicalResearch.com Interview with
John Holcomb, M.D.
Principal investigator, Retired U.S. Army Surgeon
Director of the Division of Acute Care Surgery
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
UTHealth Medical School

MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study?

Dr. Holcomb: This study is the result of two decades of work by literally hundreds of investigators. It started as an observation in 1993 in Somalia that whole blood was a superior resuscitation product in casualties that were bleeding to death. Unfortunately, whole blood is not widely available, and 1:1:1 is the closest we can get at this time. After many studies from the battlefield, and even more in the civilian area, we have now published a randomized study documenting that 1:1:1 is a superior transfusion strategy, safe and helps prevent patients from bleeding to death.

MedicalResearch: What are the main findings?

Dr. Holcomb: The 1:1:1 resuscitation strategy significantly decreased the rate of bleeding to death, and there were no increased complications between groups.

MedicalResearch: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Holcomb: Early (within 8 minutes of arrival) delivery of a balanced transfusion ratio (1:1:1) improves outcome in patients that are bleeding to death.

MedicalResearch: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Holcomb: We need to understand the mechanisms behind this finding. We need to develop products that will allow this transfusion approach to be delivered in every hospital and ambulance in the country.

Citation:

John B. Holcomb, Barbara C. Tilley, Sarah Baraniuk, Erin E. Fox, Charles E. Wade, Jeanette M. Podbielski, Deborah J. del Junco, Karen J. Brasel, Eileen M. Bulger, Rachael A. Callcut, Mitchell Jay Cohen, Bryan A. Cotton, Timothy C. Fabian, Kenji Inaba, Jeffrey D. Kerby, Peter Muskat, Terence O’Keeffe, Sandro Rizoli, Bryce R. H. Robinson, Thomas M. Scalea, Martin A. Schreiber, Deborah M. Stein, Jordan A. Weinberg, Jeannie L. Callum, John R. Hess, Nena Matijevic, Christopher N. Miller, Jean-Francois Pittet, David B. Hoyt, Gail D. Pearson, Brian Leroux, Gerald van Belle. Transfusion of Plasma, Platelets, and Red Blood Cells in a 1:1:1 vs a 1:1:2 Ratio and Mortality in Patients With Severe Trauma. JAMA, 2015; 313 (5): 471 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2015.12

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MedicalResearch.com Interview with  John Holcomb, M.D. (2015). Battlefield Tested Transfusion Strategy Improves Outcomes MedicalResearch.com

Last Updated on February 4, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD