Blood Substitute Trial in KS

From LJWorld.com (Lawrence, KS):

An experimental blood substitute has been delivered to Douglas County ambulances and is ready to be pumped into emergency patients, but a similar trial in California has sparked criticism and legal battles.

“If this really works, this will revolutionize the treatment of patients with hemorrhagic blood loss due to trauma,” said Jim Murray, support services division chief with Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical.

PolyHeme has been placed on six area ambulances — five in Lawrence and one in Baldwin. It will be administered to qualifying, critically-injured trauma patients. The blood substitute also will be used in Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties.

PolyHeme, developed by Northfield Laboratories Inc. and used in several study sites across the country, has seen its share of problems and controversy. In California, the weekly San Diego Reader is battling the company over the publishing of details about the project. Northfield representatives say the paper is trying to publish “trade secrets” contained in public documents.