Warming blood prior to transfusion using latent heat

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Biomedical Engineering
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Major trauma patients often experience blood loss and hypothermia.
• Intravenous fluid and red blood cell transfusions can exacerbate hypothermia.
• Conventional fluid warmers are often impractical in retrieval settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the safety and efficacy of a portable, latent heat-powered fluid warmer for intravenous fluids.
• To assess the potential of latent heat technology for temperature-controlled blood warming in emergency settings.

Main Methods:

• A latent heat fluid warmer utilizing a super-cooled liquid was tested.
• Red blood cell units were transfused through the warmer and compared to unwarmed units.
• Haemolysis markers and patient physiological parameters were monitored.

Main Results:

• The latent heat warmer raised red blood cell temperature to approximately 35°C.
• No significant differences in haemolysis markers were observed between warmed and unwarmed transfusions.
• Patient vital signs remained stable, with no transfusion reactions.

Conclusions:

• Latent heat fluid warmers provide a safe and effective method for warming transfused blood.
• This technology offers a practical solution for temperature-controlled fluid warming in field settings.