Allowing to transfuse blood on the battlefield will increase the survival rate of soldiers by 1.5-2 times – combat medic

More than 80% of deaths among KIA soldiers are caused by massive bleeding and its consequences. Daryna Smolnikova, a member of the Hospitallers medical battalion and co-founder of the charity project Your Blood Can Fight, told this at a briefing at the Media Center Ukraine – Odesa.

She noted that these are 30 years of statistics from US researchers. 

And the fact that until now it was forbidden for combat medics to transfuse blood on the battlefield was a big problem.

“Researchers have found that if a person has lost blood, they need to be given blood, not saline or other fluids. On the contrary, this only reduces the chances of survival in the long run. More than 80% of deaths among soldiers are caused by massive bleeding and its consequences. And the permission to transfuse blood on the battlefield has increased the survival rate by 1.5-2 times,” – the combat medic said.

She added that stopping the bleeding on the battlefield is only the first stage of assistance, then it is necessary to restore blood in the human body, otherwise the nervous system will suffer.

“When a person loses blood, he or she loses oxygen for certain organs, and the brain suffers first. The consequences range from regular migraines to a certain mental disability. Thus, by allowing blood transfusions right on the battlefield, we solve not only the issue of survival, but also many related problems,” – the doctor noted.

She added that the Ministry of Healthcare is currently preparing amendments to Ukrainian legislation that will allow combat medics to transfuse blood on the battlefield. Until now, only doctors in stabilization centers or medical institutions were allowed to do this.

The expert also noted that teaching a combat medic to transfuse blood “is not a rocket science, as it is not complicated and is not much different from infusing saline.”

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