A new emergency kit that could save the lives of wounded personnel is being used by British armed forces medics in Afghanistan.
The state-of-the-art medical device called EnFlow 100 rapid blood and fluid warmer rapidly heats up blood and vital fluids, ensuring that vital organs and injured areas receive them quickly, without affecting the patient’s core temperature.
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The emergency kit significantly reduces the risk of complications, including hypothermia and coagulopathy – the inability of the blood to clot after trauma.
Medical emergency response team commanding officer Flight Lieutenant Fiona McGlynn said that due to the nature of their injuries, many of the patients treated were in hypovolemic shock and need a transfusion.
“Giving them cold blood straight from our supplies can have an adverse effect on their overall body temperature and impact on their recovery,” she said.
“The EnFlow will enable us to warm the blood before we carry out a transfusion to ensure the patient arrives in hospital in the best possible condition.”
Prometheus Medical has deployed six emergency kits to Afghanistan for use on board emergency medical helicopters under a £35,000 contract awarded by the UK MoD.
