Prehospital whole blood transfusion offers no clear advantage over standard care for major trauma patients.

• In a study of 616 trauma patients, 48.7% in the whole-blood group and 47.7% in standard care experienced death or massive transfusion within 24 hours (p=0.84).
• Serious adverse events were slightly higher in the standard-care group (37 vs. 31).

Consider this data when deciding on prehospital management for trauma patients; standard care remains a viable option.

• Prothrombin times were elevated in 40.7% of the whole-blood group compared to 30.5% in standard care.