Transfusion for trauma: civilian lessons from the battlefield?

Moor, P., Rew, D., Midwinter, M. J. & Doughty, H.

Conflict is a potent stimulus to innovation [1]. The multiple injuries sustained in modern warfare by combatants of all sides, as in Iraq and Afghanistan, are often horrific. However, advances in combat first aid and equipment, in body armour and in rapid evacuation systems are delivering more immediate survivors to the emergency room front door and to the operating table [2]. More transfusion is now required for military trauma, creating both a wave of demand as well as a wave of interest in the civilian community. This editorial discusses the rationale for the civilian adoption of a military-style massive transfusion protocol, but suggests caution.

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