Whole blood is a hot topic in the trauma scene at the moment and the recent publication of the SWiFT and TOWAR trials has generated a huge amount of debate and discussion on this topic. In this episode, we speak with Richard Charlewood, Transfusion Specialist and one of the authors of the SWiFT paper and Alana Harper, Emergency Physician and Northern Rescue Helicopter Service Deputy Medical Director, about their decade-long experience with prehospital use of whole blood in Aotearoa New Zealand. We'll hear about the practicalities and logistics of prehospital whole blood, the makeup and various different types of whole blood, the recent research and its implications for clinicians working in this space as well as the Aotearoa arm of the SWiFT study which is currently underway. If you're wondering what all the fuss is about whole blood, and want to learn more about the benefits and limitations of this product from experts who deal with it every day, this episode is a great place to start.
