Hemcom "Shrimp" Bandage Saves Soldier, Civilian Lives

Wartime often results in new medical advances perhaps the most famous is the mass production of penicillin that save the lives of thousands of soldiers during the Second World War. The war in Iraq and Afghanistan has seen its share of advance although perhaps one of the most interesting is the Hemcon bandage.

Bleeding has been the number one cause of death for soldiers on the battle field since Ancient Times. Even in modern conditions a wounded soldier may die from blood loss before he can be evacuated to an aid station for more advanced medical treatment. The Hemcon bandage which uses an organic substance called chitosan found in shrimp. The manufacturer of the product claims that it is effective even on high-flow, high-pressure arterial bleeds.

Whether or not the bandage is effective on arteries themselves the Surgeon General of the Army made it part of the standard issue equipment carried by soldiers serving in Afghanistan or Iraq and required the army medics carry five. According to Reader's Digest the patch has been shown to stop a heavily gushing wound in 30 seconds. Colonel Robert Vandre, the Army's Director of Combat Casualty Care Research said "It acts like a tire patch." According to CNN the blood clotting abilities of chitosan have long been known, bu Hemcon was the first company to make the bandage. Z-Medica's Quickclot which is a power you can poor on open wounds may also see battlefield application by the USMC.

The patch works because the chitosan on the sticky side is positively charged and it attaches to the negatively charged red blood cells underneath the skin forming a barrier. The military credits the bandage with saving the lives of over one hundred soldiers. In the summer of 2006, Hemcon who makes the bandages released them for sale to emergency personnel. At $85 dollars for a 4 inch by 4 inch patch it may sound a little pricey, but for severe wounds it will work better than its predecessor guaze.

The Hemcon bandages will not be something you will find in your first aid kit, but chances are the ambulance that rushes in to save you after a nasty cut will have a few of these on stocks. Many emergency service personnel and the US Military itself feel lives saved by the product more than justifies the cost. They may get the cost down enough in the near future that chitosan bandages may be a valuable addition to first aid kits in the home.

Sources:

http://www.le-west.co.uk/medical/HEMCON-BANDAGE-10X10CM-M2741.htm

"Top Medical Breathroughs & How You'll Benefit." Michael J. Weiss. Reader's Digest. March 2007.

https://depts.washington.edu/nwst/issues/index.php?issueID=spring_2005&storyID=720

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2006/07/01/8380522/index.htm