Life-saving Treatment With Dry-plasma for Massive Bleeding in an Pre-hospital Setting - - a Randomized Controlled Study

Major haemorrhage remains one of the leading causes of preventable early death after injury, and the window for effective intervention often closes in the pre-hospital phase. Contemporary European guidelines therefore advocate damage-control resuscitation: permissive hypotension, minimal crystalloid use and early infusion of blood components to avoid dilutional coagulopathy, acidosis and hypothermia. Several reports support that early resuscitation with blood products may save lives.

Freeze- or spray dried plasma containing coagulation factors having up to two years storage time and the possibility of storing ambient temperature, may be an alternative to crystalloids. The results regarding the beneficial results of treatment with plasma are ambiguous. In a previous randomized study using fresh plasma versus crystalloids, 9,8% reduced mortality was shown with resuscitation with plasma. Lower INR and lactate were also seen among the patients treated with plasma. In some studies no effect on mortality could be shown, but in other studies it is suggested that plasma may be beneficial in long transport time.

Acute traumatic coagulopathy can be seen in at least 25 % of severely injured patients who are admitted to a trauma centre. Dilution is often considered as a likely cause although the exact mechanisms and level of aggravation is unknown.

Most studies of prehospital bleeding refer to trauma, but also other causes of bleeding can be severe and even fatal, especially in countries with long distances, e.g. obstetric bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding and vascular catastrophes.

Hypothesis. The hypothesis of this study is that prehospital treatment with dry plasma to bleeding patients improves the outcome compared to patients receiving standard treatment in terms of lower mortality, lower degree of coagulopathy and less need for blood products when in hospital.