Prehospital Blood in Colorado…
We need your support!

Prehospital whole blood is a new solution to an old problem…

Prehospital whole blood and other blood products help the state address the gap in post-crash care and improve survival rates
This resource is particularly impactful in rural areas
The grassroots and non-profit efforts have gotten us started and have gained national recognition
Statewide support and funding in essential to continue building programs and avoid losing what has already been built

Research shows whole blood administration is independently associated with up to a 50% reduction in mortality in trauma
Rural trauma patients experience a 14% higher mortality rate

43% of traffic fatalities were alive on scene = 303 people alive on scene last year ultimately died of their injuries
A 50% reduction in mortality = 151 lives saved
A 30% reduction in mortality = 90 lives saved

The CDOT Strategic Highway Safety Plan has minimal detail regarding post-crash care
The data on the post-crash care page has not been updated since 2022
Prehospital whole blood programs align with all of of the stated PC01-04 strategies but is not supported with state level funding

The grassroots nonprofit, Colorado Whole Blood Coalition (CWBC) was formed to support the implementation of prehospital whole blood programs in Colorado
Current pilot programs are funded for timeframes ranging between 6 months to 2 additional years
Expansion programs are limited by lack of funding to support operational and administrative functions needed for regulatory compliance with blood transfusions

NHTSA Included prehospital blood transfusion in post-crash care recommendations for improving survival rates
The National Conference of State Legislatures has presented this topic, and even cited a Colorado pilot program
Several states have recently gained legislative support in the range of $10-15 million; states include Texas
The CWBC and other regional attempts to obtain federal SS4A funding were denied the past 2 years

Current CO law [CRS 25-3.5-704 (2)(h)(II)] limits the use of EMS registry data that contains patient identifying information
This prevents us from linking prehospital database entries with trauma registry entries to understand outcomes and quality patterns
We do not believe the wording was intended to prevent these uses
Other CDPHE departments have addressed this issue (example Colorado Board of Health rule 5 CCR 1006-1 allows use of data for research under strict confidentiality requirements and safeguards.
Recommendation: pursue a statutory amendment to CRS 25-3.5-704 that would allow use of EMS registry data with patient identifiers for quality and research purposes with appropriate oversight and safeguards.