In deployed settings there are currently two broad types of whole blood available (as of 2025):

1. Whole Blood (WB) from a Walking Blood Bank (WBB-TSWB and WBB-LTOWB), and
2. National Blood Bank produced LTOWB (NBB-LTOWB) which is FDA approved and shipped to deployed locations. New in 2025 is ASBP produced Type A Whole Blood (NBB-TSWB), which will have a yellow label designating it as Group A Whole Blood.

Management of NBB-LTOWB and WBB-LTOWB/TSWB are discussed in the Damage Control Resuscitation and Whole Blood CPGs.1,31 This current CPG focuses specifically on use of NBB-TSWB, particularly the use of Type A WB.

The primary difference for the providers when using NBB-TSWB vs. NBB-LTOWB is that the recipient’s blood type must be known when performing a type-specific transfusion. The recipient’s blood type is inconsequential during the initial resuscitation when using LTOWB (either NBB or WBB) because LTOWB is a universally compatible product; however, to avoid a potentially lethal transfusion reaction during a type-specific transfusion, the blood type of the recipient must be identical to the blood type of the donor blood.