When Seconds Matter, Whole Blood is Giving Forrest Health Trauma Patients a Better Chance

A trauma patient is rushed into the emergency department after a serious accident, bleeding heavily. The care team moves quickly, stabilizing vital signs, working to control the bleeding, and making split-second decisions that can mean the difference between life and death.

In those critical first moments, having the right blood available isn’t just important, it’s lifesaving.

At Forrest Health, a new approach to transfusion is changing how those moments are managed – the use of whole blood. Unlike traditional transfusions that separate blood into components, whole blood delivers red cells, plasma, and platelets together, allowing care teams to respond faster and more effectively in life-threatening situations.

When the program launched March 3, Forrest General Hospital became the first hospital in South Mississippi to implement whole blood transfusions, bringing a proven, real-world approach to patients across the region.

“When most people think of a blood transfusion, they think of separate components – packed red blood cells, plasma, or platelets,” said Dr. Duncan Donald, Medical Director of Trauma. “But when you donate blood, it comes out as one unit, whole blood, with everything together. That’s what we’re now using for these trauma patients.”

For patients experiencing severe blood loss, that distinction can be critical. Whole blood more closely mirrors what the body has lost, supports more effective clotting, and can reduce the number of transfusions a patient may need.

“Clotting is more effective with whole blood, and clotting efficacy is far superior to giving blood components,” Dr. Donald said. “Patients who receive it early often need fewer total transfusions overall.”

In some cases, he added, a patient who is bleeding heavily may need just one unit of whole blood compared to four or five separate units of red blood cells, plasma, or platelets.

While whole blood was widely used during World War II, it was later replaced by component therapy to extend blood supplies. In the early 2000s, however, military physicians in Iraq and Afghanistan reintroduced its use for severe trauma, where it was associated with improved outcomes. Today, civilian hospitals are beginning to adopt the same approach.

“This was in the works for at least a year,” said Stephanie Moss, BS, MLS (ASCP-CM), Transfusion Service supervisor. “We had to find a supplier, then work through all the regulations, approvals, and processes across multiple departments.”

That supplier is The Blood Center, which provides both whole blood and blood components across the Forrest Health system.

“It’s not for routine use,” Dr. Donald said. “This is for patients who are bleeding to death.”

The need for blood products continues to grow. Forrest General transfuses between 700 and 900 units of packed red blood cells each month, while platelet use has more than doubled in recent years, according to Moss.

Hospital leaders say the success of programs like whole blood transfusion depends on a steady and reliable blood supply made possible by community donors.

To help meet that need, Forrest Health will host a community blood drive:

• May 19 – 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., Pine Grove, Turner Hall, 2255 Broadway Drive
• May 20 – 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., The Orthopedic Institute, Bloodmobile, 27 Southern Pointe Parkway
• May 21, 22 – 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., Forrest General Hospital Cafeteria Meeting Rooms, 6051 US Hwy 49

To find out more, go to Forrest Health’s Facebook page. Walk-ins are welcome. Donors play a critical role in ensuring lifesaving blood is available when emergencies happen.

“Those first moments are where whole blood makes a difference,” Dr. Donald said. “And ultimately, it gives our patients a better chance.”