Prehospital Transfusion in Pediatric Trauma—The Clock Is Ticking

Trauma is the leading cause of mortality and hemorrhagic shock in pediatric patients, and sustained injuries are one of the most common causes of preventable mortality in these patients. An estimated 1000 to 2000 preventable traumatic deaths in children per year occur after injury in the US because of inadequate or delayed care. Some of these deaths may represent pediatric patients with unrecognized hemorrhagic shock who are not promptly treated with hemorrhage control and appropriate hemostatic resuscitation. The 30-day mortality in children with traumatic hemorrhagic shock is estimated to be 36% to 50% compared with the 25% reported mortality in similar adults. A retrospective review of the Pennsylvania statewide trauma database by Morgan et al aimed to determine if the utilization of prehospital transfusion (PHT) in injured children leads to decreased mortality.