Subscribe
FORWARD OPERATING BASE GHAZNI, Afghanistan – Within minutes of a late night call, dozens of Polish soldiers and civilian employees responded to a life-saving request for blood donations at Forward Operational Base Ghazni, April 12.
Earlier that day, an Afghan police officer was in serious condition with a gun shot wound to the abdomen. The American Forward Surgical Team was on duty and quickly triaged and brought the victim to the operating room.
According to U.S. Air Force Capt. Vincent Boyle, a FST registered nurse from Anchorage, Alaska, the casualty received many units of the FST's stocked blood components.
“These components are separated into packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma and Cryoprecipitate. One component that our FOB is unable to stock is platelets,” said Boyle. “Platelets help control bleeding due to its clotting factors. The patient’s surgery was at a point where he needed this fresh whole blood mainly for the platelets to increase his chances of survival.”
After a call through loud speaker system, volunteers arrived to fill out a donor questionnaire and get tested for blood type and vital signs. Boyle said, it is extremely important when doing whole blood transfusions, for the donor’s blood type to match the receivers – in this case B-positive.
The FST needed 10 volunteers but the response was much greater than than and many volunteers were turned away. Within the first half hour, the FST operating room began the life-saving transfusion.
Polish army Capt. Krzysztof Kozikowski, TF White Eagle National Support Element was one of the first 10 donors. "I read the information on our computer network and at that moment decided to help,” said Kozikowski.
This is the second time in three weeks when emergency whole blood was needed and volunteers came out in droves.
“I'm impressed with the wonderful generosity of the Poles. It's truly exemplary to see this kind of support,” said Boyle.
| Date Taken: | 04.12.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 04.17.2011 15:06 |
| Story ID: | 68886 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATIONAL BASE GHAZNI, AF |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, TF White Eagle donate blood for wounded Afghan policeman, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
LEAVE A COMMENT