Since the beginning of April, the crew of Christoph 42 from Rendsburg has been carrying blood and plasma supplies on board for their missions. For patients with massive blood loss – for example, in traffic accidents – administering blood products at the scene of the accident can significantly increase their chances of survival. With this innovation, DRF Luftrettung (German Air Rescue) is making a crucial contribution to further improving emergency medical care in Schleswig-Holstein.

“Schleswig-Holstein is a predominantly rural, sprawling state that also includes many islands,” emphasizes Dr. Kai Berndt, Senior Helicopter Physician at the Rendsburg station. “With red blood cell concentrates and plasma, we now have another treatment option available directly at the scene of an incident, enabling us to provide optimal care for people who have suffered serious injuries. Blood products can now be administered far from a hospital, where such treatment would normally take place. This allows us to stabilize patients with severe blood loss due to injuries or internal bleeding on-site, for example, if a technical rescue would take time, and to prepare them for a potentially longer transport.”

To ensure availability, DRF Luftrettung maintains a depot of so-called “universal blood products” directly at its Rendsburg station. The red blood cell concentrates are derived from blood donations with blood type O and freeze-dried plasma concentrates of blood type AB. These blood types are ideally suited for use in emergency medicine because they are readily tolerated by patients of all blood types (A, B, AB, and O). Red blood cell concentrates are supplied by the blood bank of the Institute for Transfusion Medicine at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel Campus. The blood plasma is supplied by the pharmacy of the Schön Clinic Rendsburg.

Rendsburg: sixth station of the DRF air rescue service with blood products

In 2019, the Greifswald-based rescue helicopter of DRF Luftrettung (German Air Rescue) became the first in Germany to routinely carry blood and plasma products on board for its missions. DRF Luftrettung in Mannheim developed the procedure for transporting blood and plasma products in cooperation with the German Red Cross Blood Donation Service Baden-Württemberg – Hessen, as well as the University Hospital Mannheim and the University Medicine Greifswald.

In recent years, DRF Luftrettung (German Air Rescue) has gradually equipped more of its helicopters with life-saving blood products. Other equipped stations include Greifswald, Mannheim, Regensburg, Stuttgart, Berlin-Marzahn, and now Rendsburg. Here, the necessary logistics were first established, and personnel received comprehensive training. Experience with the pre-hospital use of blood products has been extremely positive and aligns with the assessments of the German Society for Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology (DGTI), which, in a statement in December 2023, highlighted the treatment success of early blood product administration. To date, over 170 patients have received red blood cell concentrates or plasma. For scientific evaluation, DRF Luftrettung participates in the “Blood in Emergency Medical Services Registry” (BiNAR) of BAND eV.