The SWiFT trial, funded by NHS Blood and Transplant, the Ministry of Defence and 10 air ambulance charities, examined whether giving whole blood instead of separate red blood cells and plasma for the treatment of severely injured patients at risk of bleeding to death increased survival rates and the amount of blood needed over the first 24 hours after injury. The research found that giving whole blood did not improve survival or reduce the need for massive transfusions within the first 24 hours after injury with outcomes between the two groups found to be almost identical.
The study has been one of the most comprehensive investigations of pre-hospital blood transfusion ever undertaken in the UK. Led by Professor Laura Green of the NHS Blood and Transplant Clinical Trials Unit, the study involved data and expertise from ten air ambulance charities across the country, including KSS. Over 600 patients were included in the final analysis. Around half received whole blood and half received standard treatment.
Alongside KSS, air ambulance charities across the UK typically use a combination of red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body, and plasma, the liquid portion of blood that contains proteins essential for clotting, to replace blood lost before a patient arrives at hospital.
Professor Richard Lyon MBE, Executive Director of Research and Innovation at KSS, commented: “These results of the SWiFT give us clear evidence that the current approach used by KSS and other air ambulance services in the UK is highly effective. We’re proud to have played a key role in this study to ensure air ambulance teams are continuing to deliver the most effective pre-hospital emergency medicine possible for the benefit of our patients.”
KSS involvement in the study reflects its long-standing commitment to advancing lifesaving pre-hospital care through research and innovation. As one of the earliest adopters of pre-hospital blood transfusion in the UK, and one of the country’s largest and busiest air ambulance services, KSS routinely provides advanced lifesaving clinical interventions to those suffering sudden major trauma or critical illness across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
The charity currently responds to over 3,100 medical emergencies a year, an average of around nine every day. It costs £57k every day to run the vital service, with 91% of its income raised through public support.
The New England Journal of Medicine report on the SWiFT findings: Prehospital Whole Blood in Traumatic Hemorrhage: A Randomized Controlled Trial’ can be seen in full here.
