Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Aug 1;93(2S Suppl 1):S30-S34.
doi: 10.1097/TA.0000000000003628. Epub 2022 Mar 28.

US Central Command military blood utilization practices 2011 to 2020

Andrew B Hall  1 , Iram Qureshi, Heidi McMinn, Joshua Kuper, Jennifer M Gurney, Matthew D Tadlock, Sylvain Cardin
Affiliations
Review

US Central Command military blood utilization practices 2011 to 2020

Andrew B Hall et al. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. .

Abstract

Background: Military involvement in Afghanistan ended in 2021, and while low-intensity troop engagements continue globally, casualty numbers are dwindling. To understand the clinical and operational connections between blood utilization and clinical paradigm shifts in resuscitation strategies, a review of blood product utilization and the changes in the last decade was conducted within the US Central Command area of responsibility. The intent of this review was to assess patterns of blood use during the last decade of the United States' involvement in the most recent major conflicts to potentially inform future blood requirements.

Methods: Blood product and types transfused between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2020, were acquired from the Medical Situational Awareness in Theater blood reports. All reported blood usage data in the US Central Command area of responsibility were queried.

Results: Packed red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) usage showed no statistically significant change over time ( τb = 0.24, p = 0.3252; τb = -0.47, p = 0.0603). Fresh and stored whole blood (SWB) use increased overtime ( τb = 0.69, p = 0.0056; τb = 0.83, p = 0.0015). A strong inverse relationship was found between SWB and FFP usage ( r = -0.68, p = 0.0309) and liquid plasma and FFP usage ( r = -0.65, p = 0.0407) over time.

Conclusion: Whole blood usage increased significantly over time with a preference for SWB. Component therapy is anticipated to remain a critical element of resuscitation in the event of large-scale combat operations secondary to supply chain and longer storage times.

Level of evidence: Therapeutic/care management; Level III.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. MOD16-Tab A: Amplification of the Minimal Standards of Fitness For Deployment to the CENTCOM AOR; to accompany MOD16 to USCENTCOM Individual Protection and Individual/Unit Deployment Policy. USCENTCOM, 2022. Available at: https://armymedicine.health.mil/MHSHome/Reference-Center/Publications/20... . Accessed February 23, 2022.
    1. Cap A, Beckett A, Benov A, Borgman M, Bryant B, Chen J, et al. Whole Blood Transfusion (CPG ID:21). Joint Trauma System Clinical Practice Guideline. May 15, 2018. Available at: https://jts.amedd.army.mil/assets/docs/cpgs/Whole_Blood_Transfusion_15_M... . Accessed February 23, 2022.
    1. Ogrinc G, Davies L, Goodman D, Batalden P, Davidoff F, Stevens D. SQUIRE 2.0 (Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence): revised publication guidelines from a detailed consensus process. BMJ Qual Saf . 2016;25(12):986–992.
    1. Vanderspurt C, Spinella P, Cap A, Hill R, Matthews S, Corley J, et al. The use of whole blood in US military operations in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan since the introduction of low-titer Type O whole blood: feasibility, acceptability, challenges. Transfusion . 2019;59(3):965–970.
    1. Holcomb J, Junco D, Fox E, Wade C, Cohen M, Schreiber M, et al. The Prospective, Observational, Multicenter, Major Trauma Transfusion (PROMMTT) study: comparative effectiveness of a time-varying treatment with competing risks. JAMA Surg . 2013;148(2):127–136.