Canton fire dept. administers state’s first pre-hospital whole blood transfusion, saving man’s life

In what officials are calling a “landmark event,” members of the Canton Fire Department saved a man’s life by administering the first whole blood transfusion in a “prehospital setting” in Massachusetts history. 

A 35-year-old man suffered serious injuries in a car crash early Saturday morning in Braintree. It took first responders about 45 minutes to remove him from the damaged vehicle, according to the Canton Fire Department. He had low blood pressure, was in shock, and was experiencing internal bleeding.

Members of the Braintree Fire Department and paramedics with Brewster Ambulance decided to request help from the Canton Fire Department, which recently launched a new Field Transfusion Paramedic Program. 

The transfusion was performed successfully as the man was taken to Boston Medical Center. His vital signs improved along the way to the hospital, and he was taken into surgery upon arrival, officials said. 

The Canton Fire Department collaborated with Boston Medical Center in March to launch the first pilot program in state history designed to administer whole blood transfusions before patients reach the hospital. 

“This groundbreaking program represents a significant advancement in prehospital care and has already proven its worth in its first use,” Canton Fire Chief Wendell Robery said in a statement. “The successful administration of whole blood in the field is a testament to our paramedics’ and EMTs’ training, preparedness and dedication. We are grateful for the collaboration with Boston Medical Center and the support of our neighboring communities.”

The program was developed over three years before launching this spring. Firefighters and paramedics were trained on how to transfuse Low Titer O Whole Blood to patients as they are being brought to the hospital. The Red Cross describes this as an “all in one” transfusion therapy for bleeding patients, as it contains red cells, platelets, and plasma.

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