Material Made From Crustaceans Could Combat Battlefield Blood Loss

MTorrice writes: A foam composed of a polymer derived from crustacean shells may prevent more soldiers from falling victim to the most prolific killer on the battlefield: blood loss. Pressure is one of the best tools that medics have to fight bleeding, but they can't use it on severe wounds near organs. Here, compression could do more harm than good. First responders have no way to effectively dam blood flows from these non-compressible injuries, which account for the majority of hemorrhagic deaths. The new foam could help stop bleeding in these types of injuries. It relies on chitosan, a biopolymer that comes from processed crustacean shells. By modifying the chitosan, the developers gave the material the ability to anchor blood cells into gel-like networks, essentially forming blood clots. The researchers dispersed the modified chitosan in water to create a fluid they could spray directly onto noncompressible wounds.

Comments

QuikClot and Celox

[turkeydance]

already do this...with the same ingredients. just don't be allergic to shellfish.

Re:QuikClot and Celox

[DamonHD]

Is there a significant antigen left in this foam?

I know people can be allergic to almost anything, but this looks to me like only relatively simple innocuous compounds remain in the foam.

The point being on the battlefield, what proportion of people would be killed by this from anaphylaxis (say) rather than saved by it?

Rgds

Damon

Re:QuikClot and Celox

[bill_mcgonigle]

If this technology becomes common place, I expect those with crustacean allergies will be required to wear a red tag same as those with pencilin allergies.

It might even become practice to use it anyway and follow up with a treatment for the anaphylaxis, if the bleeding is severe enough. People can survive shellfish reactions with management - severe internal bleeding, not so much.

Re:Dupe?

[dotancohen]

I remember seeing something like this as a coating to a wound dressing

Correct. We (Israel) used this to terrific effect in last year's operation in Gaza. It saved lives on both sides.

ITT: pretentious anons who didn't read the article

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, shellfish based bandages have been around for the last decade, yes. No, this isnt the same as that. This is a spray, not a bandage. No pressure necessary, just spray the wound like windex and you're good. This is a major advance and you lot are "lol omg seen this 10 years ago lolslashdot",

Re:Another tool

[Dragon Bait]

Peace would be much more efficient.

I agree. How do you suggest we create peace with ISIL/ISIS?

Perhaps we should not have created ISIS in the first place. Blame Obama.

Or perhaps since the local area had already mostly found an equilibrium, we should not have toppled that evil-bastard Saddam Hussein. Yes, he was evil. Yes, I would not want him for my president. But he was reasonably well contained and provided a counter balance to the other powers in the region. Blame Bush II.

We can walk our way back in time and blame [nearly?] every U.S. president regardless of party back to the fall of the Ottoman Empire. We can then start blaming the Europeans for carving up the Mid-East in such a way that it was a breeding ground for future wars.

But peace? Do you have any concrete mechanisms that would actually improve the situation?

Re:Dupe?

[dotancohen]

Is it kosher then? Or does reality temporarily take precedence over mythology when someone is wounded?

Bert

Nice veiled insult. Saving a human life is considered, as per our mythology, more important than any other commandment. We drive ambulances on the sabbath and use pig implants when that is needed to save a life. There is no "temporary" about that, it is our custom.

Some religions value the afterlife more than human life. Some religions value vague interpretations of scripture more than human life. Some politicians value religion more than human life. Jews believe in human life first, all else second.

Re:Wrong goal

[dreamchaser]

Actually the main purpose is to wound as many enemies as you can. Each wounded soldier takes 2-3 support people to care for them. The purpose of engaging in battle is to gain the specific objective (hill, town, city) as described by the mission objectives. A lot of killing takes place, yes, but it's actually the wounded that count the most from a tactical standpoint.

Re:Dupe?

[kanweg]

Thanks for the reply and the elucidation. I think it is a very good custom that saving a human life takes precedence.

Yes, I had a blunt way of posing the question. I'm not really sorry about that. Being without any factual basis, religion is a personal hobby and should not affect other people's lives. These days, the news is rather filled with items that are at odds with that.

It is rather sad that science is brought to the battle field (both for killing and surviving). If only soldiers limited themselves to taking their holy book with them and praying the enemy to death. There are no theists in foxholes, I guess.

Bert

Re:Dupe?

[dotancohen]

Thanks, Bert. I agree with you on all accounts.

I've been on both ends of the assault rifle, and my children have been through one rocket damaging our home and dozens more landing nearby. The more we "advance" technology the more we enable any particular human to hurt more and more people around them. I long for the day when we forget how to forge rifles and pack blackpowder. Let the warriors (and I say this as a reserve soldier) fight with their fists. There is no way for either side to "leave the civilians out of it" when we are fighting with weapons with a ranges measured in kilometers. If you can't look the other side in the eye, don't pull the trigger / don't throw the punch / don't push the button.

And don't be afraid to call someone a false cleric if they are using holy texts / mythology / out-of-context quotes in order to convince you to hurt somebody.