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Bleeding to death is one of the oldest causes of mortality. Despite advances in modern medicine, it remains a daily occurrence in emergency rooms, combat zones, and on the streets. Haemorrhaging accounts for 40% of trauma-related deaths before hospital arrival.
Fast and effective treatment in the minutes after injury has occurred is critical for saving a life. In cases of diffuse or unclear bleeding, an emergency haemostatic dressing can often be the only viable option to stop the bleeding. These should be fast acting as well as quick and easy to apply.
In military and defence applications, haemostatic dressings are vital in preventing unnecessary deaths on the battlefield caused by uncontrolled bleeding. Their compact, lightweight design makes them exceptionally effective for treating severe injuries, such as gunshot and stab wounds
Haemostatic dressings explained
An emergency haemostatic dressing is a cutting-edge wound treatment engineered to stop bleeding quickly by enhancing the body's clotting process. These dressings are indispensable in situations where traditional gauze and pressure dressings fall short, particularly in severe bleeding cases, deep cuts, arterial injuries, and battlefield wounds.
Haemostatic dressings leverage technologies that significantly accelerate natural clotting. The technologies used by various companies work in several different ways:
- Kaolin-based haemostatic dressings activate the final step of the coagulation process. At the time of publication, only kaolin based haemostatic dressings are TGA-approved in Australia.
- Chitosan-based haemostatic dressings use a charge-based adhesion mechanism that uses positively charged 'chitosan' to attract negatively charged red blood cells.
- Gelatin-based haemostatic agents absorb blood and create a scaffold that promotes clotting.
- Fibrin-based haemostatic dressings mimic the final step of the coagulation cascade by delivering fibrinogen and thrombin directly to the wound, which forms a fibrin clot.
Bleeding control with SpeedM® - a kaolin-based haemostatic
SpeedM® consists of a perforated nonwoven material applied with ultrafine halloysites. Due to its morphological structure, the halloysite mineral compound has a very large reactive surface area. It supports the body's natural clotting reaction. In emergencies, SpeedM® can quickly and reliably stop even heavy bleeding. SpeedM® works also in patients treated with anticoagulants.
The haemostatic gauze is easy to use, and its sturdy packaging makes it easy to transport and store. SpeedM® does not require refrigeration and can be used immediately.
SpeedM® is TGA approved - (ARTG 472226).
A unique haemostatic technology
SpeedM® Emergency Haemostatic Dressing was developed to stop bleeding in emergencies. It provides an easy-to-use technology for haemostasis in emergencies to significantly reduce the number of future bleeding victims.
Patented SpeedM® Technologies
- Halloysite Nano Tubes (HNT)
- A special cellulose-based carrier material (nonwoven)
- A precision printing process for applying the HNT to the carrier material
The HNT technology provides highly effective bleeding control. Plus, the combination of nonwoven base material and printed HNT application technology ensures that 100% of the dressing is extracted when removed from the wound.
Mode of action
The mechanism of action for SpeedM® is based on purely physical phenomena.
The gauze's perforated matrix structure is a hydrophilic dehydrated matrix with interconnected pores and channels. This structural property enables the gauze to absorb a large amount of water from the blood, leaving concentrated blood components at the bleeding site that facilitate haemostasis. In addition, the gauze achieves pressure transmission to the wound bed and supports mechanical haemostasis.
Because the outer shell of the HNT tubes is negatively charged, it facilitates the adhesion and local concentration of platelets in the event of severe bleeding. This is due to the electrostatic attraction between the negative outer shell of HNT tubes and the positive surface of the platelets. It is, therefore, a purely physical effect.
The tubular structure of Halloysite allows water to be stored inside. In contact with blood, the water is removed, and platelets of 1.5-3 µm in size are concentrated outside the tubes. Platelets are responsible for the primary natural haemostasis in case of injury. The local concentration of platelets simplifies and accelerates their adhesion and aggregation. In the final stage, a (white) thrombus develops, which ideally seals the vascular defect. (Pourshahrestani et al. Mater. Sci. Eng. C Mater. Biol. Appl. 2016)
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