When trauma patients arrive at Lee Health’s Trauma Center at Gulf Coast Medical Center bleeding from severe injuries, every second counts. Now, thanks to a groundbreaking approach that’s making Lee Health’s trauma center the first in Southwest Florida to use whole blood transfusions, those critical seconds are being used more effectively than ever before—and lives are being saved.
This groundbreaking approach delivers all essential blood components — red blood cells, platelets, and plasma—in a single unit from one donor, streamlining care. The result is faster, more effective treatment and better outcomes for critically injured patients.
Dr. Joseph Lewis, a board-certified surgeon who specializes in trauma, general surgery, and surgical critical care, says whole blood is exactly what patients lose when they bleed. Like accidentally cutting your finger on a kitchen knife, “You bleed all that red stuff. It’s a combination of those essential blood components.”
He says that for decades, trauma centers replaced these blood components separately: red blood cells in one transfusion; clotting factors in another; and platelets in a third.
“Each component requires different preparations and contains different preservatives, making the process more complex and time-consuming when time is critical,” he says.
Treatment administered during the first hour following severe injury can mean the difference between life and death. This includes determining whether the patient requires blood products, such as whole blood.
“Whole blood helps us quickly restore lost blood volume and provides essential clotting factors, which can help stop bleeding and stabilize the patient,” Dr. Lewis explains. “The speed and simplicity of giving one product instead of multiple blood components also gives us more time to get them into the operating room for surgical intervention to control the source of bleeding.”
Additionally, Lee Health has invested in advanced technology that allows the trauma team to test a patient’s blood to ensure they have received a balanced resuscitation. This means the patient has received a 1:1:1 ratio of blood components.
“We make sure their blood is the perfect balance of red blood cells, clotting factors, and platelets because it prevents more blood loss,” Dr. Lewis says.
Using whole blood has been shown to improve survival rates and reduce exposure risks for vulnerable patients, including children, transplant recipients, and those undergoing cancer treatments.
A return to proven methods
During World War I, whole blood was the standard of care because the medical industry hadn’t yet developed a method to separate blood into its components.
The shift away from whole blood happened for practical reasons, Dr. Lewis explains. The military wanted blood products to last longer than the few weeks that whole blood could be stored. By separating blood into its components and adding different preservatives, red blood cells can last approximately six weeks, clotting factors can be stored for years at subzero temperatures, and platelets can be preserved for nearly a month.
However, thanks to improved technology and storage methods, whole blood can be used effectively in trauma care.
Expanding care beyond the hospital
Recently, Lee Health partnered with Lee County Emergency Medical Services to bring whole blood transfusions directly to the field. Specially trained paramedics can now administer whole blood to critically injured patients before they even reach the hospital.
This partnership creates an efficient system where unused blood from field responses is not wasted—it is redirected to the trauma center and can be used for other patients. This ensures maximum utilization of this precious resource while extending the life-saving potential of whole blood transfusions beyond the hospital walls.
Real impact on the community
As the only state-approved Level II trauma center between Sarasota and Miami, Lee Health’s Trauma Center serves a five-county region and treats nearly 5,000 patients annually, averaging over 400 patients each month. The implementation of whole blood transfusions represents a significant advancement in caring for the most severe and complex trauma cases in Southwest Florida.
Supporting the mission through blood donation
While Lee Health doesn’t currently collect whole blood directly, the broader mission of blood donation remains crucial to trauma care.
Community members can support the trauma center and other patients in need by donating blood at the Lee Health Blood Centers, where all blood donations stay right here in Southwest Florida. That means, together, we can save lives, make an impact, and help the people you care about the most.
Lee Health’s pioneering use of whole blood transfusions represents more than just medical innovation—it’s lifesaving progress that’s already making a difference in Southwest Florida.
LEE HEALTH