A 54-year-old man sustained a severe leg laceration while climbing into a dumpster. He attempted to drive himself to seek medical attention but lost a significant amount of blood and crashed into a pole. Omaha Fire Department found him diaphoretic, pale, and hypotensive, with no palpable radial pulse and a blood pressure of 56/29 mmHg. The patient was weak, disoriented (GCS 13), and in obvious hemorrhagic shock.
The first crew to arrive quickly controlled the bleeding and established an 18-gauge IV in the left AC. Given the profound hypotension and evidence of ongoing hypoperfusion, the team initiated a rapid blood transfusion.
One unit of whole blood was administered using LifeFlow in combination with the QinFlow warmer. The device allowed the team to quickly deliver blood volume without complex setup or delay.
Following transfusion, the patient’s blood pressure improved from 56/29 to 117/49 mmHg, and heart rate decreased from >90 to 73 BPM. The shock index dropped to 0.6, and his mental status improved.
Though prehospital time was brief—approximately 10 minutes on scene and 4 minutes to hospital transfer of care—the rapid interventions stabilized the patient before arrival at Nebraska Medical Center. Additional blood was administered in the hospital, and the patient was ultimately discharged home.
“LifeFlow is the only method we use for blood delivery in the field. It allows for rapid, controlled resuscitation even in challenging environments. Once you’re trained on LifeFlow it’s simple and efficient.”
This case illustrates how Omaha Fire Department used LifeFlow to deliver life-saving blood resuscitation in the field for a patient in hemorrhagic shock. By enabling fast, controlled transfusion through standard IV access, LifeFlow allowed the team to restore perfusion and stabilize the patient before arrival at definitive care.
In trauma cases where blood loss is rapid and severe, the ability to initiate transfusion immediately can mean the difference between life and death. The simplicity, portability, and speed of LifeFlow make it a vital tool for EMS agencies committed to advancing prehospital blood programs and improving survival in cases of severe hemorrhage.