Milford blood drive Nov. 10 supports rare trauma program

Miami Township Fire & EMS is asking Milford-area residents to roll up their sleeves on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and donate blood to help replenish supplies used in its prehospital transfusion program.

The department is one of roughly 205 EMS agencies in the country — approximately 1% — whose paramedics carry blood products into the field, according to the Clermont Guardian, which first reported the drive. The event, held in partnership with Hoxworth Blood Center, will take place at the Leming House at Community Park, 5951 Buckwheat Road in Milford.

Donors will receive a Cincinnati Cyclones hat, the department said. Appointments can be scheduled at hoxworth.org/groups/miamifire or by calling 513-451-0910.

Why it matters

Under the prehospital transfusion program, paramedics stock blood. That means O-positive red cells and A plasma that can be given to most patients without waiting for lab results, according to Hoxworth Blood Center, the University of Cincinnati-affiliated blood bank that supplies the department. Clinical research cited by Hoxworth estimates that about 37% of trauma patients with severe bleeding could survive if they receive blood in the field. One study of patients with penetrating injuries and low blood pressure associated each minute of transfusion delay with 11% higher odds of death.

Every minute counts.

Jason Peng, EMS director for Miami Township Fire & EMS, has said the department's 33-square-mile coverage area means transport times to a hospital can exceed 20 minutes. That makes having blood on board critical for patients with severe bleeding, according to the Clermont Guardian.

"We're using blood products and need to replenish our supply," Peng has said of the department's recurring blood drives.