Katrina
03-16-2012, 04:50 AM
I saw this on Survival Mom.
Do not want to start argument. Not that anyone here would use it for minor stuff, just thought this was interesting.
First, from Courtney, an E.R. nurse:
“I work in an emergency room, and I can tell you first hand, QuikClot is AWFUL to get out of a wound.
It definitely will stop you from bleeding to death, but if you are in a situation where hospitals are functioning and the Stuff has NOT hit the fan, and you aren’t at risk of bleeding to death (i.e. haven’t severed a major artery), I would recommend going to the nearest E.R. instead of applying QuikClot. Pressure on the wound is the MOST important thing you can do.
I had a patient who was out fishing, cut his thumb with a fishing hook, and applied a quick clotting agent. He continued to fish for another 4 hours then decided to come to the E.R., where I tried my best to debride the wound. The QuikClot was hard and deeply embedded into the laceration, it took me a half hour just to clean it out. Now, I will admit that it is possible that the extended length of time the product remained in the wound is the culprit. But one thing is for sure, I wouldn’t use QuikClot unless I absolutely had to.”
Next, I asked James Hubbard, The Survival Doctor, for his opinion, and here is his response:
“First there’s the mess that comes with QuikClot.
My experience has been seeing fairly minor wounds treated with QuikClot. If the patient has used the older version of the product, I have to clean and scrub, and still I’m not certain I’ve gotten all the granules out. When this has happened, I can’t help but think that if they had simply applied direct pressure on the wound, I wouldn’t be forced to traumatize the fragile tissue so much more. I understand this is a complaint with emergency-room physicians and trauma surgeons also, except the wounds they see can be much worse, and time can be precious. Prior to 2008, QuikClot also produced a lot of heat when it reacted with blood, and this can be very painful—even burn flesh. If a granule flew into an eye, ouch!
The more recent version uses a chemical that doesn’t cause as much of a burn reaction, although it can still get hot when it comes in contact with plain water. They’ve also encased it in gauze. Hallelujah!”
QuikClot isn’t a cure-all. He goes on, “But my main concern about QuikClot is that some people think it’s a cure-all.
Certainly it can be a lifesaver in battles, where the wounds are large and potential blood loss is severe. It stops the bleeding long enough for these injured victims to get to surgical care. But the key is getting them the surgical care.
Lay people tend to use QuikClot first-line for every wound. They forget the basics, like direct pressure. If anyone pulls off the QuikClot to actually treat the wound, the clot comes with it, and you’re back to stage one unless there are granules, and then the situation has been made worse.
Remember, QuikClot does nothing to repair the wound. You put this stuff in, and that’s only the beginning. You can’t keep it in forever. It will stop working at some point, and because it’s a foreign body, it will increase the risk for a bad infection. When it’s removed, the bleeding begins anew.
A wound often includes an artery that supplies vital blood to an extremity. If the artery is not surgically repaired fairly quickly, the extremity will die. Gangrene will set in. The QuikClot may have been a lifesaver, but only short-term.
The bottom line is QuikClot in your bug-out-bag is not enough. You need to know when and how to use it. Start by learning how to stop bleeding with direct pressure. Know your pulse points in the arms and legs, and how you can press on them to stop the bleeding. Know how to use a tourniquet for extreme injuries.
Again just thought this was interesting.
Do not want to start argument. Not that anyone here would use it for minor stuff, just thought this was interesting.
First, from Courtney, an E.R. nurse:
“I work in an emergency room, and I can tell you first hand, QuikClot is AWFUL to get out of a wound.
It definitely will stop you from bleeding to death, but if you are in a situation where hospitals are functioning and the Stuff has NOT hit the fan, and you aren’t at risk of bleeding to death (i.e. haven’t severed a major artery), I would recommend going to the nearest E.R. instead of applying QuikClot. Pressure on the wound is the MOST important thing you can do.
I had a patient who was out fishing, cut his thumb with a fishing hook, and applied a quick clotting agent. He continued to fish for another 4 hours then decided to come to the E.R., where I tried my best to debride the wound. The QuikClot was hard and deeply embedded into the laceration, it took me a half hour just to clean it out. Now, I will admit that it is possible that the extended length of time the product remained in the wound is the culprit. But one thing is for sure, I wouldn’t use QuikClot unless I absolutely had to.”
Next, I asked James Hubbard, The Survival Doctor, for his opinion, and here is his response:
“First there’s the mess that comes with QuikClot.
My experience has been seeing fairly minor wounds treated with QuikClot. If the patient has used the older version of the product, I have to clean and scrub, and still I’m not certain I’ve gotten all the granules out. When this has happened, I can’t help but think that if they had simply applied direct pressure on the wound, I wouldn’t be forced to traumatize the fragile tissue so much more. I understand this is a complaint with emergency-room physicians and trauma surgeons also, except the wounds they see can be much worse, and time can be precious. Prior to 2008, QuikClot also produced a lot of heat when it reacted with blood, and this can be very painful—even burn flesh. If a granule flew into an eye, ouch!
The more recent version uses a chemical that doesn’t cause as much of a burn reaction, although it can still get hot when it comes in contact with plain water. They’ve also encased it in gauze. Hallelujah!”
QuikClot isn’t a cure-all. He goes on, “But my main concern about QuikClot is that some people think it’s a cure-all.
Certainly it can be a lifesaver in battles, where the wounds are large and potential blood loss is severe. It stops the bleeding long enough for these injured victims to get to surgical care. But the key is getting them the surgical care.
Lay people tend to use QuikClot first-line for every wound. They forget the basics, like direct pressure. If anyone pulls off the QuikClot to actually treat the wound, the clot comes with it, and you’re back to stage one unless there are granules, and then the situation has been made worse.
Remember, QuikClot does nothing to repair the wound. You put this stuff in, and that’s only the beginning. You can’t keep it in forever. It will stop working at some point, and because it’s a foreign body, it will increase the risk for a bad infection. When it’s removed, the bleeding begins anew.
A wound often includes an artery that supplies vital blood to an extremity. If the artery is not surgically repaired fairly quickly, the extremity will die. Gangrene will set in. The QuikClot may have been a lifesaver, but only short-term.
The bottom line is QuikClot in your bug-out-bag is not enough. You need to know when and how to use it. Start by learning how to stop bleeding with direct pressure. Know your pulse points in the arms and legs, and how you can press on them to stop the bleeding. Know how to use a tourniquet for extreme injuries.
Again just thought this was interesting.