Australian experience with frozen blood products on military operations

Abstract

* Historically, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has sourced all its blood supplies from the Australian Red Cross Blood Service. Recent ADF operations in the Middle East have highlighted a need to rely on other nations' blood supply systems. * In 2008, the ADF embedded a surgical and intensive care team into the Netherlands-led forward health facility at the Uruzgan Medical Centre at Tarin Kowt in Afghanistan. To date, three teams have provided 2-month rotations as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. * The Netherlands armed forces use a sophisticated system for supply of liquid and frozen blood products (frozen red cells, plasma and platelets). * We review Australian experience with the Dutch system of supplying blood products for major trauma resuscitation in Afghanistan.<br />