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The importance of reducing delays in blood transfusion practices for patients who experience life-threatening bleeding is the focus of new research. In a study led by Queen Mary University London (QMUL) and NHS Blood and Transplant, researchers assessed 442 patients who had experienced major trauma haemorrhage as a result of their injuries at 22 hospitals in England and Wales. The researchers found that 36 patients died within the first three hours of admission and 79 died within 24 hours, with mortality continuing to rise even after discharge. Optimal blood transfusion therapy is a high dose of clotting products in conjunction with packed red blood cells during the first hour of arrival at an emergency department. However, the researchers found that only 2% of patients with massive haemorrhage received optimal therapy. There were delays in administration of blood, and platelets and cryoprecipitate were either not given, or transfused well after initial resuscitation, the researchers say. QMUL chair of trauma sciences and trauma surgeon Karim Brohi explains: ‘The rapid and consistent delivery of blood, plasma, platelets and other clotting products to trauma patients is essential to maintain clotting during haemorrhage and has been shown to halve mortality. There is a clear opportunity for clinicians to improve the delivery of blood and clotting products during resuscitation for major haemorrhage.’ Stanworth SJ, Davenport R, Curry N et al (2016) Mortality from trauma haemorrhage and opportunities for improvement in transfusion practice. British Journal of Surgery. doi: 10.1002/bjs.10052