RESIDENT THANKS EMS FOR SAVING HER LIFE
A lifesaving program implemented last year by Washington County EMS was directly responsible for saving the life of a woman last year. Trudy Paterson was thrown from her horse and shattered her hip last October. A friend, Otis Byer found her and called 911 immediately. Paterson’s broken hip had severed an artery and she was quickly loosing blood internally. Luckily for her, Washington County EMS supervisors had begun to transport two units of blood to trauma calls. The blood they carry is O negative, which is a universal donor. Paterson was administered the blood as she was transported to a Bryan hospital.
Paterson was transported from Bryan by helicopter to a Houston trauma center where she underwent surgery and spent weeks in rehab. She came to the Washington County EMS headquarters today (Wednesday) to thank those responsible for saving her life.
Only one other EMS department in Texas has a program to transport and administer blood. Administering blood in the field was identified by Washington County EMS as a key lifesaving technique, but the obstacles in doing it were numerous. They partnered with The College Station Medical Center to supply the blood and began to transport it last year to calls where it might be needed. One of the logistical issues is keeping the blood at the correct temperature.
Even when handled at the correct temperature, the shelf life of blood is short. If it goes unused, the O negative blood kept at Washington County EMS is exchanged after 14 days. The College Station Medical center then puts it into their supply, so it does not go unused.
Washington county is blessed to have one of the most well trained EMS staffs around! It’s so comforting to know that they’re only a phone call away when needed. Many thanks to them for all they do!
What a great job the Washington County EMS did to save the life of Trudy, their quick response time, the way she was handled in her fragile situation, having the right equipment, and doing the right things at the right times to save her life shows the excellent training and professionalism the team showed during this crisis.