Any experience with QuikClot?

I have some sitting in my kit for about two and a half years now, but I'm happy to say I have not had a sufficient occasion to try it out...

ADDED: Inspired by your query, I just checked the package, and alas, it expired 04/08. Also you can go to http://www.biolife.com for more info.
 
Yes, have some and had occasion to use it for an emergency.

It really does work as advertised.

I believe it's also sold under the Celox name.
 
Tony_A said:
I believe it's also sold under the Celox name.
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Both are referred to as "hemostatic agents".

I also dont have first-hand experience but based on info from my former colleagues with TACMED backgrounds plus some other stuff from another forum. Take it for what its worth -

1. Celox is another brand/product and is more recent product than Quikclot. Hence, Quikclot has had more field time. Both come in powder/ish form.

2. One criticism about Quikclot is that is has an "exothermic reaction" (i.e. - burning) on the skin upon contact with blood, even in the unaffected areas because of the "gush" and splatter. Apparently its this reaction which helps in sealing the wound. It works by drawing all the water from the blood to the QC, thus allowing the body to clot faster because that is what is left. A first hand report said however that the reaction was tolerable ("mild sunburn"). There are also reports that the newer batches have lessened this effect (cant confirm though).

3. The good > Celox doesn't have this exothermic reaction since it's made of "chitosan" (from chitin or from shells of crustaceans). The bad > because of this link to crustaceans, there is fear of the possibilty of allergic/anphylactic reaction (again cant or havent confirmed such).

4. Celox is said to more fine-grained than Quikclot. Either way, you should consider this in a hi-stress, windy or chaotic situation. . .

5. Hemostatic agents are not a cure-all, merely stop-gap first aid.

6. Both are applied with direct pressure with hands isulated.

Hope that helps a bit.
 
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What ever happened to using good ole baking soda?
Most everyone has that sitting around the house and it'll make blood clot up as fast as anything!
 
Hey L6/Michael!

First time I heard of it, but then again baking soda has a myriad uses. Maybe this belief was carried over from home/folk remedy?

I don't wanna pre-empt the pros and I'm just thinking out loud here off the top of my head -

1. These specialized blood-clotting substances that were designed for rapid coagulation of the blood as opposed to just make a "dam" on the wound. This would even be more critical if there was severe flowing with high pressure (e.g. - arterial bleeding from the femoral). If the substance is not up to task to what its supposed to do, it would just be washed away. I'm not sure but given this scenario as well, won't baking soda just melt right away too?

2. Won't it affect somehow blood alkalinity?

I stand to be corrected if I'm wrong though.
 
untamed said:
3. The good > Celox doesn't have this exothermic reaction since it's made of "chitosan" (from chitin or from shells of crustaceans). The bad > because of this link to crustaceans, there is fear of the possibilty of allergic/anphylactic reaction (again cant or havent confirmed such).
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There's a chitosan product marketed as "Chitoseal" and it's used in Cath labs to promote hemostasis following arterial puncture. We've used it on patients with shell fish allergies with no reactions. Granted this was a 1" x 1" patch applied on the skin surface versus dumping powered Chitosan into a wound so take it for what's it worth.
 
L6steel said:
What ever happened to using good ole baking soda?
Most everyone has that sitting around the house and it'll make blood clot up as fast as anything!
Click to expand...
CorpsmanUP! said:
flour also works- used it with direct pressure on a puncture wound on my hand last week.
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The brand name products being discussed here were developed for field use on arterial bleeds and underwent (and continue to go through) extensive military testing.

If kitchen products offered anywhere near the performance, you can bet the military would be shipping crates of it overseas at a fraction of the cost.

QuickClot or Celox are not for when you cut your hand in the kitchen, or when you have a small accident in the house. They are for levels of bleeding that will be fatal if not handled immediately.

They should also be weighed in the context of their operating environment. If you are on a battlefield where comprehensive medical help requires an airlift, some QuickClot and a TQ could be your best friend. If you are living in an urban area where top level trauma centers are 5 minutes away by ambulance, don't go pouring QuickClot into yourself just because you open a gash that will require stitches. You'll get more pain for your trouble combined with pissed of ER docs who will have to spend more time cleaning out your wound. That's not to say that QC can't come in handy or should be discounted just because you have medical help nearby, just that people need to take it very seriously.
 
I mess around with R/C model airplanes a lot in the summer. One day at the flying field, I got sliced down the side of my finger by a very sharp propeller when priming a four-stroke model engine. The cut needed some stitches and was definitely going to end my day of flying before it even got started. I could not get the bleeding to stop.

One of the guys said, "Hey... do you want to try some of this stuff? I found it in the glovebox of the used truck I just bought." He produced a sample package of QR brand powder. I figured I'd roll the dice and give it a try. :p

It worked instantly and painlessly. It stopped the bleeding and sealed up the cut. By the middle of the day, I was using my hand normally as I eventually realized it wasn't necessary to "baby" the finger to keep it from bleeding or having the cut open up again.

I figured I'd be back to square one after a shower though. Nope. The stuff hung in there! As a matter of fact, it stuck in/on there until the cut was healed!

Amazing stuff, and recommended for any back-woods (or otherwise) first aid kit.

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
ThinkOfTheChildren said:
They should also be weighed in the context of their operating environment. If you are on a battlefield where comprehensive medical help requires an airlift, some QuickClot and a TQ could be your best friend. If you are living in an urban area where top level trauma centers are 5 minutes away by ambulance, don't go pouring QuickClot into yourself just because you open a gash that will require stitches. You'll get more pain for your trouble combined with pissed of ER docs who will have to spend more time cleaning out your wound. That's not to say that QC can't come in handy or should be discounted just because you have medical help nearby, just that people need to take it very seriously.
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Very well put TOTC! Thanks for the clearly defining the scope of these products.
 
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