Quikclot Found Effective and Safe

[Amado]

Z-Medica QuikClot Hemostatic Gauze Effective and Safe in Controlling Bleeding Following Adenotonsillectomy
Fri Oct 2, 2009 2:35pm EDT

From MMiz:

This is the third time this user has spammed our board with QuickClot news releases. Per our community rules, these types of posts are only allowed in the advertising section of the forum. I have edited the post, but will keep it public for the discussion.

 

[HAZMAT]

Anyone here work for a company that has QuikClot on the rigs? It doesn't seem common but from my understandings sound's like it is good stuff.

- HAZMAT

 

[dewd09]

I've had QuikClot Sport used on me. Bought it at a Gander Mountain store. Had a chain driven Go-Kart, the chain broke, slapped around my right leg, then pulled tight and continued off the gear. Mostly just an abrasion, but there was a nice deep, nasty looking laceration across my calf. Just profuse bleeding; and this stuff stung/burned like pure alcohol being poured on it. But it slowed the bleeding enough for a dressing to be applied. Don't have it on the rigs, because our medical director wouldn't sign off on it. It's allowed for ambulances, with OMC approval. He wouldn't approve it, no reason given, just didn't believe in it.

 

[Onceamedic]

It is not as simple as sprinkling some powder or applying powder impregnated gauze on a wound and having the bleeding stop. These products have adverse effects ranging from burns (due to their exothermic action) to actual granules entering circulation and producing embolisms. (a lot of them fatal)

The military patient is young and in good health. Pre-hospital emergency care generally does not have this luxury. Like a lot of things in EMS, there is very little research on risk vs. benefit of these products in the civilian patient. A cursory glance at the literature will reveal that the studies to date are cursory and contradictory. The types of clotting agents to use are varied, as are their efficacy in various types of bleeds. The few studies to advocate their use are those by the manufacturers of the product.

There is a lot more research required and a lot of education of pre-hospital providers will be needed if and when these products become something we carry on the ambulance.

 

[dewd09]

The real pain, literally, about it was in the ER, when they had to get this wad of goo out of the laceration. They were scrubbing inside the wound, with gauze and wooden sticks with cotton tips. OMG. The local anesthesia did nothing to help with that. I would not recommend its use. It's easier to put on a pressure dressing.

 

[nomofica]

I guess in dire situations it would be very useful, but like dewd09 said: it's hell dealing with it in the ER for both the patient and ER staff

 

[SoldierMedic]

Since it was mentioned that Quickclot has been posted 3 times I am sure the video of the pig with the femoral arterty and vein laceration in the inguinal area has been posted to show what is does...

if not well here it is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9xvIbKBJn4&feature=related

 

[dewd09]

Did the pig survive?


That's just utterly sick. I'm deeply offended by that video. It's horrible. I'm scarred for life.

 

[Akulahawk]

From what I've heard, QuickClot does work pretty well, however, when you watch the video, note that the Surgeon places the QC into the wound and then puts a field dressing right over that and applies pressure to the wound using the bandage... this is to insulate his hand from the thermogenesis that occurs. Both the pig and the Surgeon would have gotten burns from that. I've also heard that it's not easy to clean the stuff out. The newer QC-impregnated gauze is supposed to be MUCH better at limiting burn injury and easier to remove from the wound.

I have no direct experience with either though.

 

[SoldierMedic]

Did the pig survive?


That's just utterly sick. I'm deeply offended by that video. It's horrible. I'm scarred for life.

I need a new sarcasm encryption / decryption sheet for this board. Hard to tell if you were kidding.

Yes the pig survives.

Yeah it's indications are better suited for use in the field, but I would not use it for the civilian side unless the treatment facilities are a great distance away.

 

[mikethemedic]

I'm trying to convince my company to get quikclot