I see a few posts from the May-June time frame on this subject.
Has anyone made use of this clotting product? Do you think it is worth the price to add it to a major FAK?
Does it have a shelf life and if so, how long?

Looks as if it is something the military is using, but at $19.00 or so for a 3.5 ounce pack, I would like some input.

The current issue of S.W.A.T. magazine December 2003 has an artice on QUICKCLOT. The article says several things. That with previous products the way to stop bleeding was to introduce clotting agents to the wound. QUICKCLOT adds nothing. Instead it removes moisture thereby condensing the "clotting factors" in your blood. It says that wounds that would have previously had a 100% mortality rate can now be turned into 100% survival rate.
The article lists Popular Science as having awarded QUICKCLOT with the magazine's 2002 "Best of What's New" in medical technology. The Office of Naval Research as having conducted testing on the product. The testing was conducted under the lead of Dr. Hasan Alam. Two other listing include Z-Medica, LLC and H and H Associates, Inc. as sources of the article. Web sites for the last two being " www.z-medica.com " and " www.cinchtight.com " .

Skater,

Search on "Quikclot" here on the forum. One of our resident MD's said the product was pretty universally panned by medics in Afganistan and Iraq, and offered (IIRC) documentation to back that up. Based on that and similar reports from buddies who were over there, I have decided not to include it into my preparations. It MAY have some value in some circumstances, but until that is proven, I won't be toting any around.


Take care,

Andy

In general, I would say save your money and take a quality first aid course, it will serve you better in the long run. You will learn how to handle a variety of medical emergencies. I have yet to encounter hemorrhaging severe enough, which could not be controlled with the Basic Life Support skills of direct pressure, elevation, pressure bandage and pressure points. Pete

Hey Pete,

is Quikclot same as TraumaDex?

http://www.traumadex.com/

Matt

The data coming back from the sandbox areas are contradictory. Some report the stuff to be useless, others say it has saved lives. Search the [tactical EMS forum] at LightFighter for many details.

I would have to agree with what Pete says, but I bought some of the stuff anyway, because when I was working I often encountered multi people injured, and it was real hard to apply direct pressure, etc., on more than one victim at the same time. Now, if I should ever come upon something like that, I could if I wanted squirt some the power in one bleeder and apply direct pressure on another...

I am not sure, but looking at both products and the information they post, they do look the same. At least in how they work. Pete

After all this reminds me of stuff you are using to controll spills. You spray some powder and liquid turns into jello so you can scoop it out with the showel. Just make sure you dont get it into your toilet bowl or sink or drain.

Quicklot does that same. I mean for capilary bleeding I couldn't care less and would actually use it since surface bleeding looks bad. But imagine somebody inexpierienced throwing that stuff when you got a internal jugular vein slashed? Or in the sucking chest wound? That's like disaster waiting to happen.

Matt

You might want to do some more research on your approach. According to what I've seen you still need to apply direct pressure after using Quikclot. Here's the USMC traing hand out for the new FAK. http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/gtb/TPS/MedicalProgramsO/Utilization_of_the_IFAK_Student_Handout.pdf

Several sites that sell the stuff also specifically state "....when used in conjunction with the Cinch-Tight* bandage...". It's not an apply and forget product. Although the company website leaves you with that impression, the instructions say otherwise.

Also, there seems to be a few serious warnings concerning tissue damage and burns if it gets applied outside of the wound area. Just something else to be aware of, you don't want to get sued for giving a guy a 2d degree burn while you saved his life <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Ed

*Another Z-Medica product