The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a futuristic gel that can stop severe bleeding from life-threatening injuries, such as a deep cut or gunshot wound, for human use.
As Reuters Reportedly, the invention could represent a major step forward, providing first responders with a way to treat serious injuries in seconds.
The gel, called Traumagel, was developed by Cresilon, a Brooklyn-based medical device company.
“It’s for stab wounds, gunshot wounds, motor vehicle accidents, really anywhere this product is going to stand between a patient and death,” said Joe Landolina, CEO of Cresilon. Reuters.
Current methods that use tourniquets, gauze or chemicals can take a relatively long time to stop bleeding, unlike Traumagel which can effectively repair a potentially fatal injury in seconds, according to Landolina.
Traumagel, a product derived from algae, comes in a syringe, ready to use and easy to apply.
Landolina said Reuters The product will be commercially available in late 2024 and plans are for the gel to be used by paramedics and combat medics in the field.
“Ninety-one percent of battlefield deaths are due to what we call preventable bleeding, which means that if there was a better product to stop bleeding, countless lives could be saved,” he said. Reuters.
The company’s literature says the gel is a temporary patch, but the short time a person uses Traumagel to cover a wound could give them enough time to get to the emergency room to have their wound permanently sealed.
And when it’s a matter of life and death, that’s enough.
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