Medical

Wound-plugging XStat syringe saves its first life on the battlefield

Wound-plugging XStat syringe saves its first life on the battlefield
The XStat syringe was first approved for battlefield use in 2014 and has now been used for the first time
The XStat syringe was first approved for battlefield use in 2014 and has now been used for the first time
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The XStat syringe was first approved for battlefield use in 2014 and has now been used for the first time
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The XStat syringe was first approved for battlefield use in 2014 and has now been used for the first time

With the capacity to stem severe bleeding within around 20 seconds, the XStat sponge-filled syringe could be a real game-changer when it comes to medical care. It has just proved its worth in the most testing of environments, with battlefield surgeons successfully using the device to plug a soldier's gunshot wound for the first time.

The syringe, which was first approved for battlefield use in 2014, works by filling a wound with small cellulose sponges. These are made from wood pulp and covered in chitosan, an antimicrobial compound found in crustacean shells. This not only fights off bacteria, but also causes blood clotting that combines with the expanding sponges to apply pressure and quickly stop arterial bleeding.

When a coalition forces soldier received a gunshot wound to the left thigh, opening up the femoral artery and vein to leave a gaping cavity, doctors were unable to stem the residual bleeding even after around seven hours of surgery.

The team then called on the XStat syringe to fill the wound, applying a single syringe to the cavity which almost immediately stopped the flow of blood. The soldier then became stable and was moved to a definitive care facility.

"The first-in-human experience with XStat is the culmination of tremendous effort on the part of both RevMedx and our military collaborators," says Andrew Barofsky, president and CEO of RevMedx. "We are pleased to see XStat play a critical role in saving a patient's life and hope to see significant advancement toward further adoption of XStat as a standard of care for severe hemorrhage in pre-hospital settings."

The civilian version of the syringe, called XStat 30, was cleared by the FDA for use by the general population in December last year. Because the dressing can be used for up to four hours and contains x-ray detectable markers for surgical removal later on, it is hoped first responders can use it to limit civilian deaths that result from haemorrhaging before they reach the hospital.

Source: RevMedX

7 comments
7 comments
Milton
Great to hear it was put to the test, but there are still a lot of questions. 1. Why was it used AFTER 7-hours of surgery? 2. What was the end result? (did the patient end up losing his leg from a lack of blood-flow? Did the end-care doctors need to remove the sponge-like material? Were they able to repair the artery?)
Calson
Time to increase VA funding as we are going to have a lot more disabled vets who have lost arms and legs and genitals arriving back home for a lifetime of care by their families. Small wonder that more American soldiers are dying from suicide (using a gun by the way) than die on the battlefield. These thousands of soldiers who commit suicide each year are evidently not happy with their life after it is saved on the battlefield and spending the remainder of their life as invalids.
ZacSegal
Arch Therapeutics is developing a hemostatic device called AC5 that stops bleeding even faster. It uses self-assembling peptides that form a clear patch over the wound and it's currently in early clinical trials. It looks very promising and it's far more effective with broader applications than the one described here.
David A Galler
What is the shelf life of the device ?
Wombat56
What the hell were the doctors doing that they couldn't fix a femoral artery after seven hours in surgery?
RobertElliot
Sounds great. Obviously it needs for more general use and research before it will be fully accepted. This can be seen from the readiness to post negative comments without being in possession all the facts. Nothing like an armchair critic to know it all.
robertp7220@yahoo.com
Interesting. I wonder how this would work as compared to a tourniquet as far as some of the negative aspects of pain, tissue destruction leakage etc.. with tourniquet use is concerned.. Looks to be another wonderful tool to put in the box of lifesaving tool's.