Hemostais/Stop Ya From Bleeding to Death Products

[dmccarty]

I received a magazine last night that had an article on
hemostasis products. These are products that stops or slows
massive blood loss. I read another article about the military
use of these products in the last couple of weeks. The article
mentioned that some of the products are expensive. Meaning
a thousand dollars a use! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

The articles described the products as bandages or granular
material that is placed into/on trauma wounds to slow or stop
blood loss. If I'm remembering some of the stats, the military
figures that 40% of the people who die from bloodloss could
be saved with these products.

The article I got last night mentioned a couple of the
producers of these products but I left the article at
home. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

If I remember correctly the USMC likes a product called
QuickClot due to its effectiveness and cost. Supposedly $20
a sealed waterproof packaged. They have a website,
http://www.z-medica.com/

My question is, have any the TBN Docs and Vets heard of
these type of products?

I'm thinking for 20 bucks I would get a couple of packets to
carry in my truck an in my chainsaw chaps. I'm usually
working a good 1,000 feet from the nearest neighbor so if I
have a chainsaw accident I might only have enough time to
dial 911, pour in the clotting agent and maybe tighten up on
the wound before I went into shock..... $20 could be well
spent... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Later,
Dan

 

[llewellynsd]

Dan,
I'm going to watch this thread real close. About four weeks ago I had a situation while cutting wood that could have been really bad. Thank the good Lord the saw did not chew me up to bad. A couple of large scabs still show the evidence of the accident. I still wonder if a good pair of chaps would not have helped out in the situation?

Shawn

 

[Soundguy]

Ditto.. a real good thread .. And I'm gonna watch it too.

Not just chainsaws.. but we as tractor people are around hundreds of pounds of moving metal all the time.

For instance, I unhitched my 6' disc from my tractor the other day after moving it to build a new chicken coop. I was on level ground.. lowered the 3pt... got off.. pulled the pins.. and right then, a stick that the disc had been resting on broke, and the disc lurched forward 6 inches or so....just and inch shy of my foot..and I was in the back pasture as well.. a missing foot sounds like it would bleed bad.. Guess I was lucky.. and someone was watching over me.

Soundguy

 

[dmccarty]

Shawn,

I ALWAYS wear chainsaw chaps when working. ALWAYS. I'm
so used to them that once, and I do mean once, I walked
away from the truck aka, the work bench, with the saw to
start cutting but something did not feel right. Had to sit
there for a second and realized that I had not put on my
chaps. I also wear a chainsaw helmet as well. I have a face
guard "hat" that has ear and face protection but no helmet.
But I seldom use it anymore. Just put on the hat. I have had
some saplings hit my head and without the helmet I would
have not been happy..... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I'm a firm believer in safety equiment. Even with a good pair
of boots, chaps, eye glasses, and helmet its FAR cheaper than
a trip to the emergency room. Not to mention lost time and
body parts. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The chaps have saved me twice. Not in the manner is which
one would think though. In one instance the chain was pulled
off the bar when I was in some real heavy growth and the
tree moved in a way I did not expect. The chain hit my chaps
which stung a bit. In the summer I wear thin long pants and
it really would have hurt without the padding of the chaps. I
might have been cut up as well. Another time I rested the
bottom of the saw on my thigh. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif The saw was just in
the right position and it cut a line through the top layer of
the chaps. I did not notice the line until I took off the chaps.
With my normal work pants that could have been my leg...

Chaps are only 50-75 dollars. Go get a pair. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif After all
they are YOUR legs! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

As an aside I was watching the Gardening Guy last Sunday. He
had a show on chainsaws. He mentioned all of the safety
stuff but when he ran the saw he was not wearing it. His
chain was also hanging loose off the bar as well......

Later,
Dan

 

[beenthere]

I worked with a logger in Alaska once who carried a women's sanitary napkin in his hard hat (above the webbing) for stopping blood flow. I wondered if it would stop it or draw more out. But really think it would stop it.

I too am a firm believer in chain saw chaps. I have two pair with cuts in the legs above the knee.

I had a heavy hit on the hard hat last weekend when a dead 6 foot white oak limb about two-inch diameter landed on my head from apparently about 25'. It set the hard hat down around my ears, and caused a little ringing. But I didn't have any deep gash or wasn't knocked out from it anyway. Glad I had the hard hat on.

You are right about the short time you have to dress a wound before shock sets in. Life or death time.

 

[hfd376]

You're right, the biggest killer from trauma (cuts, crushes, bangs,et al) is shock. Shock is very simply the blood loss from the cuts, crushes, bangs, et al. This can be internal, which you wont see until it bruises, or starts swelling. Or it can be external and pretty easy to see.

Internal bleeding can kill, because outwardly all appears to be normal and you think all is well. But since something inside is still bleeding, it may take a while before you die. Thats why paramedics and emt's are so insistant on poking and prodding and asking questions about what happened and how.

External bleeding from big cuts can kill more quickly because your blood is literally draining out. I have never used any of the products you described, but I have worked on people out in the country and have used sanitary napkins and they work great. The key is to have more on hand than you think you may need. Along with that throw in some big trauma pads, 5x9 inch, and some wide roller gauze, 4 to 6 inch. They roll on fast, are pretty fool proof and hold really well. In addition, the roller gauze can add a little compression which will help stop the bleeding also.

Once you put the pad on, secure it with the roller gauze
and leave it in place. If the blood soaks through, leave the original pad in place, and put another on top, and roll some more gauze around it to secure. And don't worry about looking stupid, and some folks do worry, if you're bleeding badly, THIS WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE.

Also, if you're in this predicament, get a bandage on the bleeding first, before 911. You really could bleed to death going for the phone first, especially if its a cut artery. Arteries carry the oxygenated blood from the heart to the body.

So how much does all of this stuff cost? 20 bucks will get you alot of supplies and if kept in a weatherproof container, will last along time.

Doug

 

[herbenus]

Okay, I exhausted my websearching expertise on this one. I read a lot about Quikclot and I'm sold. But I can't find info on where or how to buy it. I emailed manufacturer for distributor name and if they get back with me I'll post here. I've been looking for something like this. Two sons with mild hemophelia. This would be good to have in the first aid kit.

 

[Mike_Dumond]

QuikClot is available worldwide through authorized distributors and <font color="red"> directly from Z-Medica LLC.</font>

For information on pricing, packaging options, and delivery, please contact:

Bart Gullong, Vice President
Z-Medica LLC
35 Budney Road
Budney Industrial Park
Newington, CT 06111 U.S.A.
Telephone: +1 860 667.2201
Fax: +1 860 667.2222
E-mail: info@z-medica

 

[dmccarty]

Bill,

I was not home last night so I was not able to post the other
links that where in the article I was reading. This weekend,
more likley on Sunday, I'll post the other links to the other
companies.

The one link I did supply had a study on the site. I'll reread
the article and see more info sticks in my head this time. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I had a tough time finding the one site I mentioned and I semi
sort knew what I was looking for name wise. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Later,
Dan

 

[herbenus]

Thanks. I have the same information off of their website. The email address is an error (at least it came back to me with error). I just called them. At this time they are reserving all Quikclot for the military until April 1. After April 1 I can buy it. They do sell direct, so a distributor is not needed. I was told small quantities are fine.

However, if anyone knows of a distributor in US, please share the info. I haven't seen a post from anyone who's actually seen and held this in their hands, so I'm assuming all this info is coming from web articles. All articles can be accessed from Z-Medica's website. I suspect that some Emergency supply house or paramilitary supplier has this stuff, but searches turned up nothing. I can wait till April anyway.