Prehospital blood transfusion is now prominently featured by the U.S. Office of EMS. EMS.gov displays both the special Prehospital Blood Transfusion in Practice series and a dedicated Prehospital Blood Transfusion Programs resource on its homepage.

The dedicated EMS.gov topic page describes prehospital transfusion as the delivery of whole blood or blood components by EMS clinicians at the scene or during transport. It also sets out the operational structure required to make such programs work: stakeholder coordination, blood-sharing networks, equipment, education and training, data and continuous quality improvement, and clinical guidelines.

Why this development mattersThe issue is no longer only whether blood can be given before hospital arrival. The federal implementation focus is increasingly on how an EMS system can reliably make blood available, store it, transport it, resupply it, train clinicians and measure program performance.

A dedicated 2026 implementation series

The special EMS Focus series, “Prehospital Blood Transfusion in Practice: Building Your Own Program,” began on 23 July 2026. It moves step by step from defining the intervention to implementation, blood-supplier relationships, financing, protocols, training and quality improvement.

23 July 2026Defining Prehospital Blood Transfusion
18 August 2026Establishing a Prehospital Blood Transfusion Program
22 September 2026Working with a Blood Supplier in Your Prehospital Blood Program
28 October 2026Paying for Your Prehospital Blood Program
17 November 2026Policies, Protocols, Guidelines & Training
15 December 2026Tracking Success & Improvement

From blood availability to system capability

The EMS.gov framework makes the logistical problem explicit. A prehospital blood program depends on blood supply, storage conditions, transportation, resupply, clinical protocols, training, reimbursement and local infrastructure. That makes prehospital transfusion both a clinical intervention and a systems problem.

BHOC tracks this development as implementation and systems evidence relevant to emergency oxygen-delivery access. It is not evidence of BHOC efficacy and does not imply endorsement of BHOC by NHTSA or the Office of EMS.

Evidence boundaryThis article reports an official federal EMS implementation development. It should not be interpreted as clinical evidence for BHOC, HBOC or any other oxygen carrier.

Official sources

  1. NHTSA Office of EMS homepage ↗ — current homepage highlights for the special series and prehospital blood transfusion programs.
  2. Prehospital Blood Transfusion — EMS.gov ↗ — dedicated issue page and program elements.
  3. EMS Focus Webinars ↗ — special 2026 implementation series.