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The XStat syringe packing 92 cellulose sponges to be delivered to gunshot or stabbing wounds. Military-use syringe approved for civilian use stops bleeding in 20 seconds, proving to be a device that makes the difference between life and death.
Military-use syringe approved for civilian use stops bleeding in 20 seconds, proving to be a device that makes the difference between life and death.
The military-use syringe has been around for less than two years. The device is known a XStat and it has been developed by Oregon-based RevMedx, a company specialized in medical devices. The XStat syringe packs 92 sponges which can quickly be delivered to injured patients and prevent them from bleeding out. The military-use syringe has been successfully used on the battlefield for the past year and a half and works by plugging severe injuries caused by gunshots or stabbing.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recently approved the use of the XStat syringe for civilian use. Nonetheless, there is no timeline suggesting when it could become available for extended civilian use.
The life-saving potential of the XStat syringe is incredible. Designed to be used for injuries which can’t be conventionally treated with tourniquets (e.g. blood-draining injuries sustained at the armpit or groin level), each XStat syringe packs 92 specially designed sponges.
These sponges are made of cellulose. This prevents them from dissolving in the body. In addition, they are protected by a layer of chitosan. Chitosan fends off bacterial infection while propping blod clotting at the same time.
Once injected in the wound, the sponges quickly expand, acting as a barrier against bleeding out. John Steinbaugh, former U.S. Army Special Operations medic declared that on the battlefield the XStat syringe worked wonders. By the time the wound was covered with a bandage, the blood flow was already stopped.
The military-use syringe approved for civilian use stops bleeding in 20 seconds. It takes 20 seconds for the sponges to expand, absorb the blood and prevent the patient from bleeding out. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration press release, a number of three XStat syringe can be used on one patient at a time. Each of the sponge-packed military-use syringe absorbs one pint of blood.
The sponges are to remain within the gunshot or stabbing wounds for a maximum of four hours. When the patient reaches a medical facility where the wounds can be treated accordingly, the sponges can easily be removed due to the marker that makes them visible in an X Ray.
With over 84,000 gunshot wounds reported in 2013 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making the military-use syringe available for civilian use really makes a difference between life and death. The XStat syringe can be safely employed to address deep hemorrhagic wounds.
Photo Credits: canadianbusiness.com
