Comparative Testing of New Hemostatic Agents in a Swine Model of Extremity Arterial and Venous Hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE: To compare advanced hemostatic dressings: HemCon (HC), QuikClot ACS+ (advanced clotting sponge, and two granular agents: Celox (CX) and WoundStat (WS), with a standard field dressing in a swine model of extremity hemorrhage. METHODS: We randomized 30 animals to treatment with a standard dressing or a hemostatic agent applied to a 2 x 6-mm injury in the femoral artery and vein after 45 s of free bleeding. Animals received 500 mL Hextend 15 min after the bleeding commenced without further resuscitation. End point was survival to 120 min or non-survivable blood pressure. RESULTS: Survival to 120 min among treatment groups was 100% (WS), 83% (CX), 67% (HC), and 50% (ACS+). No control animals survived. Postinjury blood loss (mL/kg) was 4.6 (WS), 12.9 (CX), 10.0 (HC), and 15.8 (ACS+) compared to 27.0 for controls. CONCLUSION: All hemostatic dressings result in significantly less blood loss and improved survival over standard gauze dressing.