Hello --

The topic area "Prehospital Post-Crash Care Systems Improvement" makes certain assumptions that present challenges to implementation "in the real world," today.

Specifically, the solicitation calls for "an innovative treatment for bleeding includes damage control resuscitation (DCR) treatments such as the administration of whole blood, blood products (e.g., red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, platelets, and cryoprecipitate) and adjuvant therapies (e.g., Recombinant activated factor 7 (rFVIIa))."

But in order for such an approach to be safe and effective, agencies need to know certain biological / physiological as well as clinical details about the people who have been involved in the crash.

Some of these details are obvious -- like the appropriate blood type (there is not enough Type O blood to account for every crash that occurs) -- whereas some of these considerations are more nuanced, details, and/or complex: for example, if the vehicle's occupant(s) have a religious objection to receiving an infusion, or if one or more people involved in a crash has a clotting factor disorder (e.g., hemophilia) or other blood disorder that might preclude a transfusion or require special handling. The solicitation does not reference these special health needs.

Would DOT consider either (a) modifying the SBIR topic to place a focus on incorporating awareness of such special health needs in a post-crash context, or (b) even better, creating a second SBIR topic that focuses on making Responders aware of such special health needs in a post-crash context, to ensure that adequate care can be providing, including by delivery of blood products (when appropriate)?

Thank you very much!