(June 24, 2015) Traumatic
injuries, whether from serious car accidents, street violence or military
combat, can lead to significant blood loss and death. But using a material
derived from crustacean shells, scientists have now developed a foam that can
be sprayed onto an open wound to stop the bleeding. They report their
successful tests on pigs in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science &
Engineering.
For some serious injuries to arms and legs, medics can apply
pressure to keep bleeding in check. But for major trauma to the torso,
particularly when it affects vital organs, compression can make the situation
worse. Currently, first responders have no way to stop this kind of bleeding,
which is a leading cause of death among young adults and the most common cause
of death from combat-related injuries. Srinivasa R. Raghavan, Matthew B.
Dowling and colleagues wanted to find a simple way to treat these wounds
quickly.