Whole blood availability expands to more RGV EMS agencies

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SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (ValleyCentral) — One of the victims in last week's alleged saw attack on South Padre Island was treated for his major blood loss through a whole blood transfusion at the scene.

The alleged attack took place on May 30 at Cameron County Beach Access 3. Four subcontractors were working at the site when one man, later identified as Rodriguez Zamora, allegedly grabbed a circular construction saw and attacked another worker.

Two victims were transported to Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, over 40 miles away.

"It was one of those situations where if we didn't have [whole blood], the patient would have bled out on scene," said Emilio Hinojosa, South Padre Island EMS Operations Captain. "Our medics were able to deploy it, our medics were able to give it, and we were able to save a life."

This was the first time South Padre Island EMS used whole blood at the scene of a trauma emergency. The department had just started carrying it a week prior.

They join four other EMS agencies that are currently equipped to perform whole blood transfusions outside a hospital.

Willacy County EMS is another department that sees this as a lifesaving opportunity because of its distance to the nearest hospital.

"One of the challenges for us as a rural location — we are a minimum of 30 miles from the nearest hospital," said Assistant Director for Willacy County EMS Gilbert Torres. "One of the priorities anytime you have a trauma patient, when there is significant blood loss, is the fact that time is minutes."

Willacy County has had whole blood available for the past two months. Torres said they have not had to perform a blood transfusion yet, but they anticipate it will be life-saving when the time comes.

The Trauma Regional Advisory Council (Trac-V) has been helping EMS agencies across the valley join this program for the past year. Executive Director Nathan Ramon said it's their goal to make pre-hospital whole blood available in all four counties of the Rio Grande Valley.

Here are the five EMS departments using whole blood: