SPONGES could save the lives of gunshot victims: FDA approves military gadget to plug wounds in 15 seconds for use on civilians
- The XStat looks like a large syringe, filled with rapidly expanding sponges
- FDA approved the device for battlefield use last year, and now for civilians
- Device has potential to absorb 300 millilitres of blood or other bodily fluid
Ambulances in the United States may now be equipped with life-saving sponges to prevent gunshot victims from bleeding out.
The device was cleared last year for use on the battlefield, but now, the FDA has approved it for civilian use too.
Sponges are injected into the wound to stop the bleeding, and can later be removed safely once the victim has arrived at the hospital.
The device, called XStat Rapid Homeostasis System, was developed by RevMedx. Sponges are injected into the wound to stop the bleeding, and can later be removed safely once the victim has arrived at the hospital
The device, called XStat Rapid Homeostasis System, was developed by RevMedx out of Wilsonville, Oregon.
What looks like a large syringe is filled with small, tablet-like sponges that can expand once inside a wound. The cellulose sponges are coated with a homeostatic agent, according to MedGadget, and grow rapidly to fill the hole.
These sponge tablets absorb blood pumping into the area, and plug the cavity in less than 15 seconds, to allow clotting to begin.
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This gives the emergency responders up to four hours of use, a significant amount of time to transport the victim to a hospital.
Each sponge is 9.8 millimetres wide, and four to five millimetres tall, with capabilities of absorbing 3 millilitres of blood or bodily fluid.
Ambulances in the United States may now be equipped with life-saving sponges to prevent gunshot victims from bleeding out. The device was cleared last year for use on the battlefield, but now, the FDA has approved it for civilian use too
With 92 sponges packed into each applicator, the XStat has the potential to absorb roughly 300 millilitres of fluid for one victim.
The XStat 'creates a temporary physical barrier to blood flow,' according to the FDA's announcement, MedGadget says.
'The number of sponges needed for effective hemorrhage control will vary depending on the size and depth of the wound. Up to three applicators may be used on a patient.'
HOW THE XSTAT WORKS
The XStat looks like a large syringe and is filled with small, tablet-like sponges that can expand once inside a wound.
The cellulose sponges are coated with a homeostatic agent, and grow rapidly to fill the hole in less than 15 seconds.
Each sponge is 9.8 millimetres wide, and four to five millimetres tall, with capabilities of absorbing 3 millilitres of blood or bodily fluid.
With 92 sponges packed into each applicator, the XStat has the potential to absorb roughly 300 millilitres of fluid for one victim.
The sponges are approved for up to four hours of use, leaving plenty of time for the victim to be transported to a hospital.
The image on the left shows the wound before treatment with the XStat. Bleeding out is the cause of nearly 50 percent of combat deaths, and the U.S. Army Medical Department says half of these could likely have been prevented if timely care was available
The XStat sponges have a radiopaque marker on them, which can be detected under an X-ray to ensure all sponges are cleared from the body.
Bleeding out is the cause of nearly 50 percent of combat deaths, and the U.S. Army Medical Department says half of these could likely have been prevented if timely care was available.
These devices have previously been approved for battlefield use, and MedGadget points out that the decision to expand this to civilian use may be a timely decision.
This life-saving device could be used on adults and adolescents suffering from lead poisoning, a result of bullet wounds.
The XStat sponges have a radiopaque marker on them, which can be detected under an X-ray to ensure all sponges are cleared from the body. This life-saving device could be used on adults and adolescents suffering from lead poisoning, a result of bullet wounds
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