2024 ended with a groundbreaking medical procedure in the region for the Appleton Fire Department.
The Appleton Fire Department and Gold Cross Ambulance were called to a residence in Appleton for a critical medical call on the morning of December 30th, where they performed a pre-hospital blood transfusion, the first ever in Northeastern Wisconsin.
The patient was experiencing significant blood loss and low blood pressure, which required immediate intervention to save their life.
In an ambulance, one unit of blood was administered en route to the hospital, and the patient showed near-instantaneous improvements and stabilized quickly.
The teamwork between Gold Cross and Appleton EMS saved the patient’s life, marking the first pre-hospital transfusion administered by ground EMS.
Following the incident, the Appleton Fire Department and Gold Cross Ambulance thanked ThedaCare, Ascension, and the Community Blood Center for making this groundbreaking procedure possible.
