A Warning Re Quikclot

[Ronnie]

Hi there

I have been considering getting some Quikclot haemostat products to put in the FAK for major trauma.

I was talking to a military medic today - he has 4 tours in war zones under his belt and has instructor qualifications. He told me that the British Army don't use Quikclot granules any more. Basically, if it blows about and gets in your eyes it can cause corneal damage due it being a very powerful dehydrating agent. This has happened a number of times in the field. The Quikclot sponge dressings were developed to address this problem and should be safe in this regard.

However, British Army medics now use Celox products. This is a higher tech system which combines specifically with blood, rather than water - to gel and provide topical clotting.

It's a good enough recommendation for me. Whatever heamostat you choose, it is probably wise to avoid Quikclot granulated products.

[scottishwolf]

Thanks for the heads up mate , I'll look into replacing mine with something else asap.

[Greg]

Good call fella! Thanks

[Shewie]

Thanks for this Ronnie, I was looking at getting some Quikclot myself just last week from Fentons. Will check out the Celox stuff now though.

[Ronnie]

Celox is based on chitosan. The guy I spoke to said it was derived from prawns - it is claimed that it's safe for folks with shellfish allergies but can't find any concrete research on that despite a cursory check.

Celox Website - but that might not be a balanced perspective

BTW - no affiliation to company, no financial interest, yadda yadda

[3bears]

I suppose now is not a good time to mention I've used superglue in the past.....

[Ronnie]

Superglue is useful for wound closure - but if you're bleeding like a stuck pig it's not going to bond. You need to stop the bleeding first. For minor and moderate stuff pressure will do this quite nicely. Haemostat is for proper OMG bleeding out scenarios.

[CBJ]

Thanks for the heads up on this

Craig

[Limaed]

I heard a simular story about an American serviceman who ripped the bag open with his teeth to administer the granules to an injured collegue. Most of them went in his mouth obstructing his airway and causing considerable burns. Not reccommended. The Celox bandages are in widespread use in the military now although their not cheap to buy.

[Itzal]

Superglue is useful for wound closure - but if you're bleeding like a stuck pig it's not going to bond. You need to stop the bleeding first. For minor and moderate stuff pressure will do this quite nicely. Haemostat is for proper OMG bleeding out scenarios.

Super glue is good as a stop gap but it begins to poison you straight away, not serious but still you need to seek proper medical attention.

[zarkwon]

How much????

[Itzal]

How much????

All the clotting agents where expensive when they first came out, really good bit of kit IF used properly.

[FGYT]

Quick clot now dosnt build up so much heat and is mostly sold in pads so you dont pour powder on wounds just slap the pad on

ATB

Duncan

[absw]

The powder is also harder to remove once you get to hospital apparently, compared to the sponges which peel away in one piece.

[Nat]

I'm under going predeployment training and they've phased out quickclot because it's dust and blows about which can course nasty damage to your eyes and is a pain in the backside once you reach a field hospital.
Celox is now the choice as it is better and despite being made from shellfish (not just prawns) it is usable on people who have a shellfish allergy. Being in strip form, it is also easier to remove once you've reached better medical facilities. The recent course i just completed confirms this.

[TeeDee]

and is a pain in the backside once you reach a field hospital.
.

What you using it for Nat???

[Nat]

What you using it for Nat???

NOT what you think

[Martyn]

Hi there

I have been considering getting some Quikclot haemostat products to put in the FAK for major trauma.

Does that happen often?

[Ronnie]

It only has to happen once.

[Martyn]

It only has to happen once.

True, but it strikes me as being a bit like carrying a parachute in case you fall off a tall building.

[Ronnie]

You make your own choices, Martyn - and I'll make mine.

[Martyn]

Do what you want mate, you can pour vinegar on your wounds if you want, just dont use that stuff on anyone but yourself. It's neither the best stuff to use, nor the right stuff to use. It's designed as a field expedient treatment for severe ballistic wounds in a combat theatre and for that particular context it works well - in so far as it'll get the cas back into the fight for a bit longer. But unless you are a combat soldier, it doesnt apply to you and it certainly doesnt apply to anyone you might think of "helping" with it.

[Ronnie]

Martyn, I am a trained health care professional and I will use my own judgement when applying first aid to myself, my family, and indeed anyone else. The title of this thread is "A Warning Re Quikclot" and advises not to use their granulated products which many people on this board own, so your accusations of irresponsibility are kind of weird.

You're trolling, and all this drama doesn't impress me.

[Samon]

I suppose now is not a good time to mention I've used superglue in the past.....

I think super glue was invented around ww2 time specifically for binding wounds together fast..hence why it works so damn well on our fingers.

[Kuvakei]

it works well - in so far as it'll get the cas back into the fight for a bit longer.

Given that Celox/Quickclot/Other homeostatic agents are used in the treatment of catastrophic bleeds, that T1 'cas' will not be doing much by the way of fighting, you'll be lucky if they're still conscious by the time the celox has set and you've written up your ATMIST report.
Homeostatic agents, like many things morphine, cpr etc are a tool, applied incorrectly or by the untrained they can be dangerous however I do and will continue to carry Celox in my fac, it weighs sod all and could make all the difference, if not to me then for someone else whom I'm sure would be quite grateful of the expense.

[Smith28]

Wow getting heated in here.

Just wanted to say thanks for the heads up, found that interesting.

[3bears]

I think super glue was invented around ww2 time specifically for binding wounds together fast..hence why it works so damn well on our fingers.

I made that discovery purely by accident, back when I was a young teenage slave to the wares of the dreaded 'Games Workshop', I'd nicked my finger while trying to trim mould likens of a model while gluing it together, and hey presto! i've been keeping it in my bushie 1st aid kit since but have only had to use it once in anger- oddly enough I split the back of my hand open while trying to put a bike chain back on... no craziness with sharps I'm afraid lol

[FGYT]

I think super glue was invented around ww2 time specifically for binding wounds together fast..hence why it works so damn well on our fingers.

Yes right time frame but wast invented for wounds.

ATB
Duncan
from tapatalk phone

[Baggy]

Interesting thread, as someone who often uses a carving axe when there is no one else is around it has given me something to think about. I had a cut recently (poor knife use and hasty working)
which bled a lot and would not allow the application of steristrips, too wet. A tad worse and it would have been a problem on my own

[Minotaur]

Heard the problem about it being a nightmare to get off at the other end.

Do wonder what you are surposed to do if you cut something major in the middle of nowhere? No idea what the call out time is, but if you got ten minutes to live, think something like the Celox could keep your rear end alive.