# New Synthetic Platelets for Blood Clotting



## SanDiegoEmt7 (Dec 19, 2009)

> Fake blood-clotting products to heal wounded soldiers
> Wounded soldier
> Immediate treatment can save lives
> 
> ...



See the story:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8413336.stm


----------



## bunkie (Dec 19, 2009)

That is absolutely amazing! When I was a regular platelet donor for the ASBP they were always short on platelet donors and the program was taking it hard having to split them between Astan, Iraq and the cancer pt's in the states. I wonder if they will incorporate these into use for cancer patients?


----------



## So. IL Medic (Dec 20, 2009)

bunkie said:


> That is absolutely amazing! When I was a regular platelet donor for the ASBP they were always short on platelet donors and the program was taking it hard having to split them between Astan, Iraq and the cancer pt's in the states. I wonder if they will incorporate these into use for cancer patients?



If they can limit unwanted clot formations, it will be brilliant,


----------



## Jeffrey_169 (Jan 12, 2010)

If I understadn my history correctly, we had a "Quickclot" like agent in use during WWII. I still don't understand why civilains don't use it. Certain SWAT Teams around the country have had for a while now, but  have never seen it on a truck.


----------



## Veneficus (Jan 12, 2010)

I like the British idea of producing blood in vitro from stem cell lines better than a synthetic polymer.

That would allow the creation of whole blood or any component in near limitless quantity. 

medical polymers are not complication free. Particularly their ability to act as a medium for bacterial replication. 

Just my thoughts.


----------



## Jeffrey_169 (Jan 12, 2010)

Veneficus said:


> I like the British idea of producing blood in vitro from stem cell lines better than a synthetic polymer.
> 
> That would allow the creation of whole blood or any component in near limitless quantity.
> 
> ...



Is this why we don't use them prehospital?


----------



## Aidey (Jan 12, 2010)

Quickclot and similar products are used in some places in the US.


The product they are talking about is an in vitro product. They have been attempting to develop a non-blood oxygen carrying and/or clotting product for years, but they have not been able to come up with anything that works or is reasonable to use pre-hospital. 

One of the products ended up having a higher mortality rate than just using saline, and others have very short shelf lives or are very expensive.


----------



## Veneficus (Jan 12, 2010)

Aidey said:


> Quickclot and similar products are used in some places in the US.
> 
> 
> The product they are talking about is an in vitro product. They have been attempting to develop a non-blood oxygen carrying and/or clotting product for years, but they have not been able to come up with anything that works or is reasonable to use pre-hospital.
> ...



I worked at a place that was part of the polyheme study, I didn't think about it at the time, but I am wondering if the reason saline had a lower mortality is because the polyheme was designed as an o2 carrier, not a clotting agent. So it may have been similar to attempting high volume resuscitation I will look deeper into it this week.


----------



## Aidey (Jan 12, 2010)

That is an interesting thought on the results, you will have to post what you find.


----------

