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A special report on the chitosan-based hemostatic dressing: experience in current combat operations
Ian Wedmore1, John G McManus, Anthony E Pusateri
1Madigan Army Medical Center, Fort Lewis, Washington, USA.
The Journal of Trauma
|March 15, 2006
Summary
The HemCon chitosan-based hemostatic dressing showed high success in controlling bleeding in combat casualties when used in prehospital settings. This hemostatic dressing is effective for trauma patients, especially when other methods fail.
Area of Science:
- Trauma care
- Emergency medicine
- Biomaterials
Background:
- Hemorrhage is a leading cause of death in trauma patients.
- The HemCon chitosan-based hemostatic dressing is FDA-approved for hemorrhage control.
- Animal studies indicate HemCon dressing improves survival rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the prehospital hemostatic efficacy of the HemCon dressing on combat casualties.
- To report preliminary findings on the use of HemCon dressing in real-world combat scenarios.
Main Methods:
- Case information was collected from Special Forces combat medics, physicians, and physician assistants deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
- Sixty-four combat uses of the HemCon dressing were reviewed by two US Army physicians.
Main Results:
- The HemCon dressing was used in 64 combat cases, with 97% resulting in cessation or improvement of bleeding.
- It was 100% successful in cases where gauze failed and was most useful for wounds where tourniquets could not be applied.
- Two failures occurred in large cavitational injuries; no complications were reported.
Conclusions:
- The HemCon dressing is a useful hemostatic tool for prehospital care of combat casualties.
- Further studies are recommended to confirm the efficacy of HemCon dressing in diverse trauma situations.
