Blood Component Support Required For Life Support In Isolated Stations

The prospect of construction and long-term habitation in space e.g., the international space station, presents unique challenges in maintaining biologic environmental systems including the inhabitants. Industrial construction presents previously unencountered opportunities for nonfatal trauma to occur in space. Long-term habitation by a variety of technical, scientific, and support personnel presents a number of medical challenges including the potential treatment of hemorrhage. The treatment of hemorrhagic shock requires the control of hemorrhage, volume replacement, oxygen delivery, clotting factors and platelets. The difficulties encountered in delivering these products to a geographically isolated military unit are similar to those anticipated in supplying an orbiting platform. This paper reviews the status of current developments in hemorrhage control.