Slashdot Mirror
Shrimp-Based Bandages Save Lives
Roland Piquepaille writes "Unstoppable bleeding is one of the leading causes of death on battlefields. But now, soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have a way to reduce bleeding when they're wounded. In "War Bandages," ScienCentral News writes that these new bandages contain chitosan molecules, extracted from shrimp shells. These positively charged chitosan molecules attract negatively charged red blood cells, stopping hemorrhage in one to five minutes. As said one of the co-founders of the Oregon-based company behind these bandages, "You can have a hole in your heart and 60 seconds later it's sealed." The Food and Drug Administration approved these bandages for human usage, but today they are exclusively sold to the Army. With a $90 price tag for a 4-inch-by-4-inch single bandage, would you buy them anyway? This overview contains more details and references. It also shows you how the red blood cells are attracted by the chitosan molecules."
Weird. I knew a former Marine who talked about using the shrimp-based bandages for wounds. They've been atound for a while, that's for sure.
You cannot apply a technological solution to a sociological problem. (Edwards' Law)
Potatoes stop bleeding too. I thought I originally read this on Slashdot, but Google is not being helpful. Actually, it's like dried potatoe flakes or powder. But the story is the same, it near instantly stops bleeding.
Marques Johansson
Will it work if you're allergic to shell-fish? That's what I want to know.