Can Your Blood Type Affect Emergency Care?
An abstract from the study
In the chaotic atmosphere of an Emergency Room, timing can be critical. According to a new study, so can blood type.
The study followed 900 patients admitted to the ER with “severe trauma” in Japan. Researchers defined severe trauma as a type of injury that could cause long-term disability or death. And while they acknowledged that loss of blood is the leading cause of death in patients with severe trauma, researchers wanted to focus on the association between severe trauma and different blood types.
The study found that patients with blood type O are almost three times more likely to die from serious injuries than those with other blood types. Their hypothesis? Blood type O is known to have lower levels of a specific blood clotting agent, and this can increase the risk of hemorrhage. The researchers suggested that additional studies be done to look at the causal relationship between blood type O and mortality in severe trauma cases.
In such a high-risk environment, there are many factors that come into play in diagnosis and treatment in an urgent care setting. If you suspect that you or a loved one is a victim of medical malpractice at a Philadelphia Emergency Room, please contact us to discuss your legal options.