By TPS • 13 January, 2020

Israeli emergency medicine specialists held a special event this week during which they shared their unique knowledge on saving the lives of hemorrhaging patients with medical officials from around the world.

The Magen David Adom’s (MDA) Blood Services and the IDF Medical Corps held an international seminar in Herzliya on Sunday on the challenges of treating the complex hemorrhaging patient.

The leadership of the Trauma Hemostasis and Oxygenation Research (THOR) Network, a world leader in hemorrhage control which concentrates on providing treatment in civilian and military settings, attended the seminar, as well as military and civilian physicians and surgeons from around the world.

The seminar was headed by Deputy Director-General of Blood Services Prof. Eilat Shinar and IDF Lt. Col. Alon Glasburg.

“Death by hemorrhage is the main cause of death in trauma cases”, Shinar explained. “A patient can be saved from massive hemorrhaging by initiating treatment as soon after the injury as possible.”

MDA, the IDF Medical Corps and leading researchers have developed unique procedures to contend with this life-threatening situation.

Both military and civilian paramedics have dried plasma in stock, a blood product that contains clotting factors. The product is dried into a powder that can be stored in extreme temperatures and be given to patients in the field by dissolving it in water to improve the patient’s outcome.

In addition, the IDF and MDA use whole blood in the military med-evac helicopters.

MDA Director-General Eli Bin stated that “MDA’s Blood Services use some of the most advanced technologies and are of the most advanced in the world” and “constantly works to improve the medical treatment provided in the field to both civilians and military personnel.”

The seminar was held as part of the 6th Conference on International Preparedness and Response to Emergencies and Disasters, hosted by the Israeli Ministry of Health and the IDF’s Home Front Command.

Participants from 30 countries attended the conference.

Israel is a world leader in emergency response and medicine, with much of its knowledge accumulated through the treating of mass terror attacks and wounded IDF soldiers.