COLORADO SPRINGS — “I didn't know that it was such a close call with her, I didn't know that.”
Holding her healthy two-month-old baby Rosie, Colorado Springs mom Chelsea Tuff is talking about a potentially deadly situation she and her newborn faced the day Rosie came into the world.
It was also a day that tested the UCHealth and Colorado Springs Fire Department recently launched whole blood program.
It is a first for any fire department in the state.
Tuff was full term, in what so far was a normal pregnancy.
“I was leaning over the bed, and I stood up, and I felt an internal pop," said Tuff.
What she thought was her water breaking was instead her placenta rupturing, followed by uncontrollable bleeding.
“I got down on my knees, leaning over the bed, just to help keep the blood from gushing out. But it still kept coming.”
Crews from Colorado Springs Fire Station 11, the departments patrolling Medical Lieutenant, and AMR ambulance crews responded to the 911 call for help.
The obvious amount of blood she was losing initiated the new protocol to administer whole blood in the field.
“She had bled a liter in less than half an hour, approaching a third of her blood volume,” said UCHealth Memorial Hosptial Emergency Physician and Colorado Springs Fire Department Medical Director, Dr. Matt Angelidis.
Dr. Angelidis lead collaborative efforts between the hospital and the fire department to expedite whole blood treatment before patients arrive at the hospital.
“What that involves is Colorado Springs firefighters carrying, storing and delivering blood to patients in the field who are bleeding to death,” said Angelidis, “Hemorrhagic shock is real. It's the number one reason for you to die under the age of 46. We watch patients every day in the city bleed to death before they get to a hospital or a trauma surgeon.”
Chelsea Tuff and baby Rosie are examples of how whole blood given enroute to the hospital can improve survival.
They were losing so much blood, dying was a real possibility.
“Every time we see her smile, I get little reminders of how much, how differently it could have gone,” said Tuff.
“She may not have made it to the hospital, and her baby may not have survived the event,” said Angelidis.
The mother and daughter are not the only community members who have benefited during the first few months of whole blood given before arriving at the hospital.
“Over the first 100 days of our program, we have 44 units of blood delivered to 38 patients with 32 living survivors from transfusions,” said Angelidis.
Everyone in the community can be part of the whole blood program.
Helping happens when people donate blood.
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