Slashdot Mirror
Protein Gel Quickly Stops Bleeding
Stefan vd Linden writes, "An international team of scientists has discovered a substance to heal bleeding wounds within seconds. They're using a solution of protein molecules that self-organizes into a biodegradable gel. Until now they've only tested it on animals, but the tests were highly successful. From the article: 'Some surgeons are already excited about the material. "I see great potential in the eye field, the gastro-intestinal field, and in neurosurgery," says Dimitri Azar, head of ophthalmology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, US. "In the eye, even a drop of blood will blur your vision for a long time," Azar adds. "A material that would stop the bleeding could lead to a paradigm shift in how we practice surgery in the eye."'"
It's called platelets. It was invented long ago. Thank goodness, or I would have died the first time my nose bled...
Platelets are fine for small wounds, but they don't do much for larger than a small cut. For external cuts I usually stick it together with a little superglue. I don't expect this will be over the counter though..
in case of massive fragging mix contents with one cup of tea and drink really fast!
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
This reminds me of when I was watching the cannon run on the Edinburgh tattoo a few years ago. One of the soldiers got hit on his head (#1 haircut), and cut quite badly. A medic ran out with a thing that looked like a staple gun, sprayed it with 'numbing spray', stapled the wound closed with about three staples, then wiped some kind of gel/wax on it. The guy looked a little sore, but he wasn't bleeding and his wound was closed enough that he could carry on. - all in about 10 seconds.
But they do have them. The real problem in hemophilia is with clotting factors, associated proteins that bind the platelets together and stick them in place, rather than a lack of platelets.
Does this mean it will make a way for blood to flow in an artery? Or does it just get in the way?
Does it make room for healing cells? TFA says it doesn't interfere, but does it get out of the way when the body starts to heal?
Could something be added to 'nourish' the or promote more healing cells?
Does it promote healing or just act like a mega-bandage?
Don't get me wrong, I think it'd be great to throw this stuff in a first aid kit so you could just glop it on if you get a gash while out hiking or hunting. They could be the first real 'med-packs' like in them 'video games'.
This sig isn't original enough, it's time to come up with something witty...
Since you are a hemophiliac, I'd like to know if you can use a styptic pencil in this situation?
I am not quite sure how it works but I was curious because I used one successfully on a fairly major leg wound -- and it worked like a charm. It hurt like hell but it DID stop the bleeding, eventually.
(sidenote: I was in a pinch and didn't have other options at my disposal)
yah, i try to use styptic pencils but they just mostly sting more than do anything helpful. Yet another downer. The really sad thing is that the pharmco's are making so much cash off the few of us (i think the ratio is 1:10,000) but do you ever see any charity jars in your local stop and shop for hemophiliacs?
I'm not going for a sob story, i've long ago made peace with my situation and the lovely hep C that was given to me by Bayer when they were so kind as to make 'the newest, latest and greatest' product back in '88 or so that eliminated long stays in the hospital while bags of plasma were injected. Instead, you just mixed up a batch of freeze dried factor IIX that came from *dubious* sources.
Sorry to get off topic there... I havn't made peace with Bayer for that.
Sometime in pre-history, it was noticed that many things like; dried marigold petals and spider web staunches blood. It was common practice to bleed patients at one time, and when the leech was removed, spider web was used as a poltice. I have personally used spider web on cuts, and it stops the flow in seconds. I should have applied for a research grant dang it!
- Minutus cantorum, minutus balorum, minutus carborata descendum pantorum.
A few weeks ago, I was talking about Trauma Center for the Nintendo DS with a friend of mine. In the game, you play a doctor who operates on patients, removing tumors with your stylus, sewing them back up, etc. My friend's girlfriend is in med school currently and says that all the basic procedures are accurate enough, with the exception of one: a gel you apply to stop bleeding. I guess that's not true anymore.
Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.
there were no tests, but they could have NOT taken blood from prisoners with the same needles, then concentrated it down.... I'm just thanking whatever god is out there that I didn't get HIV... My doctor when I was very young suggested a treatment that would have given me AIDS 100% chance. Luckily my mother had done her research enough to know it wasn't safe enough yet. I think I got the medicine that infected me (monoclate-p) after they developed the HVC test, but i'm really not quite sure. Frankly, after six months of interferon + ribovirin treatment, then having atrial fib from the side effects, then trying it again, and 8 months in having the same thing happen, but continuing the last 3 months, and then having the treatment not work, i'm sick of caring.
:)
I did hear that overseas they have developed a treatment that affects the RNA of the virus directly istead of tricking around with your body, but i'll just have to wait for the FDA to take their slow time with the process of approving it... anyone care to start a fund so ill be able to afford it?
That idea kinda reminds me of what they used to line the fuel tanks of some of the larger bombers in WW2. A rubber that when it came into contact with the fuel would swell and harden. So, if a bullet hit it, it would self seal.
Not only that but spider webs are covered with antiseptic agents too.
e rsmall.html
There's a small summary and a nice picture at http://www.microscopyu.com/galleries/smz1500/spid
Sky subscribers are morons. They pay to be advertised at !