title: The implementation of a multinational "walking blood bank" in a combat zone: The experience of a health service team deployed to a medical treatment facility in Afghanistan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We present here a description of the experience in whole-blood transfusion of a health service team deployed to a medical treatment facility in Afghanistan from June 2011 to October 2011. The aim of our work was to show how a "walking blood bank" could provide a sufficient supply.
  
  
  METHODS
  We gathered the blood-group types of military personnel deployed to the theater of operations to evaluate our "potential walking blood bank," and we compared these data with our needs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Blood type frequencies among our "potential walking blood bank" were similar to those observed in European or American countries. Our resources could have been limited because of a low frequency of B blood type and negative rhesus in our "potential walking blood bank." Because of the large number of potential donors in the theater of operations, the risk of blood shortage was quite low and we did not face blood shortage despite significant transfusion requirements. Actually, 93 blood bags were collected, including rare blood types like AB and B blood types.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our experience, this international "walking blood bank" provided a quick, safe, and sufficient blood supply. More research in this area is needed, and our results should be confirmed by further prospective trials.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapeutic study, level V.
authors.affiliation: From the Hopital d'Instruction des Armees Percy (C.G.H.), Federation de Biologie Clinique; and Centre de Transfusion Sanguine des Armees (C.M., C.L.R.), Clamart; and Hopital d'Instruction des Armees du Val de Grace (S.D.R., R.D.), Departement d'Anesthesie-Reanimation and Service de Neurochirurgie, Paris, France; Eastern Virginia Medical School (J.S.), Department of Internal Medicine Pulmonary/Critical Care Division, Norfolk, Virginia; and Cabinet Medical (A.L.G.), Saint Leon; and Direction Centrale du Service de Sante des Armees (R.M.), Fort neuf de Vincennes, Sous Direction Hopitaux Recherche, Bureau Offre de Soins, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Carine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garcia Hejl
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martinaud
authors.forename: Remi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Macarez
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sill
authors.forename: Armelle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Le Golvan
authors.forename: Renaud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dulou
authors.forename: Celine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Longin Roche
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Rudnicki
mesh_terms: D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D001771:Blood Banks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000379:methods*; D005060:Europe; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008889:Military Personnel; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy*