New Orleans Ambulance Service Uses Unique Lifesaving Technique For 100th Time Sunday Morning

A New Orleans ambulance transfused a woman shot dead on Bourbon Street on Sunday morning while she was still on the street. It is said to be a rare ability for ambulance services across the country and is life saving. Thomas Mauro was the paramedic who gave her blood with a Lifeflow device. He was able to transfuse the victim’s blood in just 10 minutes, as opposed to the usual 40 or so minutes it takes to get the victim’s blood in the hospital. “Getting blood quickly, quickly is the most important thing you can do besides getting them to the hospital as quickly as possible. Now I feel better because I can make a difference more than before,” said Mauro. This was the 100th time New Orleans EMS has been able to use this service since its launch almost exactly one year ago. They say they see a lot. better outcomes for people facing trauma who received treatment, as opposed to those who did not in previous years. “During my first blood transfusion, the patient usually didn’t feel well, but by the time we got this patient to the hospital, they were talking, and they weren’t talking before,” Mauro said. They say other ambulance services around the world are looking to them as an example and are trying to implement the practice in their cities. “Despite this, you know that New Orleans is likely to continue to face challenges, but we will continue to strive to get through this and continue to provide New Orleans residents and visitors with the assistance they need. So whether it was 100 high or 100 low, no matter why we give it, we were just happy,” said New Orleans ER Captain Janick Lewis. Currently, the service is paid from the EMS budget. Patients Data is being collected to determine the effectiveness of the treatment, but participants say it appears to be effective.

A New Orleans ambulance transfused a woman shot dead on Bourbon Street on Sunday morning while she was still on the street. It is said to be a rare ability for ambulance services across the country and is life saving.

Thomas Mauro was the paramedic who gave her blood with a Lifeflow device. He was able to transfuse the victim’s blood in just 10 minutes, as opposed to the usual 40 or so minutes it takes to get the victim’s blood in the hospital.

“Getting blood quickly, quickly is the most important thing you can do besides getting them to the hospital as quickly as possible. Now I feel better because I can make a difference more than before,” said Mauro.

This was the 100th time the New Orleans Ambulance Service has been able to use this service since it launched almost exactly one year ago. They say they’re seeing much better results for trauma survivors who receive treatment, as opposed to those who didn’t in years past.

“During my first blood transfusion, the patient usually didn’t feel well, but by the time we got this patient to the hospital, they were talking, and before they weren’t talking,” Mauro said.

They say other EMS services around the world are looking to them as an example and are trying to implement the practice in their cities.

“Despite this, you know that New Orleans is likely to continue to face challenges, but we will continue to strive to get through this and continue to provide New Orleans residents and visitors with the assistance they need. So whether 100 was high or low, no matter why we give it, we were just happy,” said New Orleans ER Captain Janick Lewis.

Currently, the service is paid from the EMS budget. Patients are not charged. Data is being collected to determine the effectiveness of the treatment, but participants say it appears to be effective.