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Comfort Provides 300-Plus Blood Units in Haiti

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100226-05
Release Date: 2/26/2010 3:30:00 PM

By Communication Specialist 3rd Class Matthew Jackson, USNS Comfort Public Affairs

USNS COMFORT, At Anchor (NNS) -- Medical staff members working in the blood bank aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) have supplied more than 300 blood units for transfusions and replenishment as of Feb. 15.

During Operation Unified Response, Comfort's surgical teams have performed hundreds of surgeries on patients with injuries resulting from the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti last month. Many patients were admitted to the hospital ship with severe wounds and were in need of extensive operations requiring a ready supply of fresh blood to prevent the unnecessary loss of life.

"We are able to store thousands of units of red blood cells, plasma, and platelets," said Lt. Cmdr. Sean Hussey, Comfort's blood bank medical director, who is from Columbia, Md. "We have the ability to store 2,000 fresh units and 3,000 frozen red blood cell units."

The blood bank employs five laboratory technicians and one officer to maintain an optimal blood supply. The blood bank also has to be prepared to provide various amounts of blood, plasma and platelets on a daily basis.

"Our main responsibility is to provide blood products for the patients we are caring for," Hussey said. "Many patients have acute injuries, need surgery and extensive procedures that may require blood. We have to support patient and surgeon needs in a coordinated effort to really keep patients alive."

The logistics of keeping a fresh blood supply on board Comfort has presented unique challenges for the medical staff. Hussey explained how blood travels across the entire United States for use aboard the hospital ship.

"Blood is acquired from all over the country at donor sites. It is then processed through the Armed Services blood program in Washington D.C., transported to Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, transported to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and finally brought on board Comfort for use or freezing," Hussey said.

Hussey said laboratory technicians in the blood bank maximize the shelf life of the blood supply.

"We are able to receive blood from the United States with additives in it to preserve the shelf life for up to five weeks," Hussey said. "If the blood does not have additives we can freeze it in the blood bank and keep it for a lengthy period of time before thawing it for use."

Comfort surgeons have performed a broad variety of operations on Haitian earthquake victims, with dozens requiring a fresh blood supply during surgery.

"It is very important to have a readily available blood supply," said Capt. Richard Sharpe, head operation room surgeon. "Most of the surgeries we have performed did not require a blood transfusion, but there are certain cases where we expect to lose a considerable amount of blood. For those cases we have to have blood available. As of today, we have performed 25-35 surgeries that required patient blood transfusions."

Sharpe said it was critical to a patient's survival to have access to assets from a fully capable blood bank.

"During those high blood loss cases, we not only have to transfuse packed red blood cells, but also fresh frozen plasma and platelets. Without those three being available, the patients would probably succumb to the blood loss."

Comfort has provided medical treatment and care for approximately 900 patients since beginning operations nearly one month ago, many of whom have been positively affected by the efforts of Comforts blood bank.

"Patients who experience significant blood loss need blood transfusions, plasma and platelets, and we are fortunate to have all three available on board the Comfort to save people's lives," Sharpe said.