CELOX -- is it in your First Ait Kit?

In a sit-X situation -- we may be faced by rebellious neighbors, hell-bent on survival.

In the event that a peaceful member is shot (lets say the upper leg) -- how would a friend/companion apply first-aid and stop any arterial bleeding?

I have been first-aid certified, as well as CPR certified -- but I cannot see myself containing an arterial wound without medic/hospital assistance.

A blood-stopper agent seems to be the best product to provide immediate life-saving assistance to a fallen friend/family member.

Celox seems to be the answer.

CELOX™ is a new high performance hemostatic material. It is a proprietary marine biopolymer designed to control high-volume arterial bleeding. CELOX™ is suitable for many applications, from deep arterial bleeds to superficial wounds.

CELOX Link

Gunshots, lacerations...uncontrolled bleeding can mean the difference between life and death.

Simple pressure and gauze cannot always save a life until more competent medical personnel can be contacted (via short wave radio or social networks).

It would seem that this product is being tested/used by our own military -- why should we not also as civilians also explore this product?

After suffering a devastating chin laceration a week ago -- I can attest to the fact that loss of blood can put one into shock -- or worse.

A prudent, well-thought-out first aid and "trauma" kit should be paramount for all those who wish to survive a "Sit-X"

I ask for all opinions upon this product, is it worth including?

[edit on 30-8-2008 by MystikMushroom]

There use to be a tv show on the history channel called tactical to pratical that mentioned/demonstraited a simmilar product they called "Quick Clot" I am sure it is a similar or mabe even the same product. I am curious how much of this compound is neccesary to stop a major arteial bleed. the civilian home first aid kit comes with ten individual packs containing two grams of celox. but the industrial packs are twenty five grams. now are they anticipating more severe wounds in an industrial setting, or are they just playing on the safe side. I don't know this product but one would think it would take more the 2 grams of chemical to stop a severe wound.

Buy Quick Clot here

If you are around firearms , this needs to be in your kit

[edit on 31-8-2008 by EyesWideShut]

From my initial research, it would seen that this Quik Clot gets hot/warm and can actually cause 2nd degree burns in certain situations.

I am very interested in this Celox because it does not have an exothermic quality to it -- and can be used in patients with hypothermia.

I keep two simple and easy to purchase items in my medical bug-out-bag that's simple to use and effective for immediate help in stopping bleeding.

Tampons can be used to plug a bullet hole in an emergency and plastic lined panty liners applied to a deep gash with pressure is perfect for protecting a wound and stopping blood flow.
The plastic side of the panty liner is also perfect to stop a sucking chest wound that's penetrated the lung.

Cheap, easy, and available at any store or the nearest woman's purse.
Let's face it, these products are designed to handle blood and a tampon will expand in a puncture to seal the wound until a more permanent solution can be found.

reply to post by anxietydisorder


Very good info! Star to you my friend!!!

As you said, both are easily available -- and, compact and lightweight.

I think for X-mass I'm going to ask my folks for a really, really complete first aid kit (like a 2-3 hundred dollar one)...

Something like this:

Sweet First Aid Kit on Ebay...

Like I said above -- I've been red-cross first aid certified -- as well as CPR certified. I'm also an Eagle Scout and know how to treat injury well....if I have the materials to do so that is.



[edit on 31-8-2008 by MystikMushroom]

Thanks MystikMushroom, feminine hygiene products are not something most people think about when putting together an emergency kit, but they are effective and serve more that one purpose.

I do want to express on people without medical training one thing.
DO NO HARM........

Never remove a foreign object from a major wound if you can help it. This can increase blood loss and cause more tissue damage than the original injury caused. It is always best to pack around the puncture area and immobilize a foreign object and the patient. This stops blood loss and any continuing damage that can occur if the patient is moving around.

Never try to remove a bullet.
This is something you see on TV and movies.
Without a full surgical kit and proper training you could just end up killing the person. The bullet or any other object like an knife, arrow, spear, pointed stick, glass, etc. is best left in place until professional assistance can be reached.

Excellent responses, I discovered the other day when I cut my finger while peeling apples, that fruit fresh stopped the bleeding and immediately seemed to have a sucking agent that made the fresh cut almost invisible, don't know but it happened.

reply to post by anxietydisorder


Excellent advice/knowledge!

*nods*

Such trauma wounds are better left "as-is" and under control until a competent surgical/trained doctor can be found.

However, in a Sit-X ....a surgical team/hospital might not be available.

Being trained, and having the proper gear on-hand might not only save your own life -- but that of your closest of kin.

In Alaska where I reside -- earthquakes are a primary natural disaster concern. Being cut-off from medics and hospitals with severe lacerations and bone-fractures are a concern to myself.

Perhaps my Eagle Scout training is making me paranoid -- the "be prepared" motto is deeply rooted....

[edit on 1-9-2008 by MystikMushroom]

Originally posted by antar
Excellent responses, I discovered the other day when I cut my finger while peeling apples, that fruit fresh stopped the bleeding and immediately seemed to have a sucking agent that made the fresh cut almost invisible, don't know but it happened.

I just want to fill antar in on why this worked the way it did.

Apples contain a substance called pectin that is actually used for healing wounds. You would have had it on your hands when you received the cut.
en.wikipedia.org...

The combination of apples and Fruit-Fresh had a 1-2 punch on the cut because Fruit-Fresh is mostly Ascorbic acid that would pucker the tissue and assist in closing the cut and reduce redness, swelling, and the chance of infection.

They kinda squared that away with , QuikClot™ ACS™+ ... 1st get QuikClot did have that problem though.

reply to post by MystikMushroom

this is an informative thread, the feminine products will be in my first aid bag by next week... can anyone tell me the difference in quick clot and something like steptic powder? would steptic powder (if packed in a wound) stop serious bleeding? could that cause other problems? i know it works wonderfully on regular cuts...

[edit on 3-9-2008 by digwiz001]

reply to post by MystikMushroom


It's going to be vital that you use your current level of training and acquire additional advanced level training (through formal certs - EMT, EMT-P, RN, etc) or informal sources such as books and CME.

Remember, in the most extreme survival situations there will not be a large distinction between a CPR card and an EMT-Paramedic license.

If in a "clan" type situation, you'll be required to use ANY knowledge and supplies you have, to the best of your ability, to save someone's life.

I would greatly recommend spending 70-80 dollars and getting a basic-EMT text book. The life saving interventions you will learn could easily be the thin line between life and death.

Best of luck!

Walt- Paramedic
Morgantown, WV

My bro got shown the vids on how to use a 'quick clot' compound.

They showed experimental pigs getting their femoral artery bring cut then the compound being poured on. But there was more to it than just pouring the powdery stuff on there, after you've done it there's like a pressure pad to insert too.

This might not of been celox but it was very recent (6 months ago) and I was told that the stuff they used before that wasn't as good and often it was a case of "reach in and try and tie the artery manually!!"

I asked him to bring me some packs back but in his hazy way he forgot!

If you do not know what you are doing, hemostatic agents can kill a person. Please, for the love of God, refrain from things like jamming a tampon in a bullet wound. Yeah, it works...sorta...I guess. Jamming a tampon in an open wound (especially arterial) is a last resort, and is in no way a substitute for things like, oh...properly packing the wound with gauze. Use of a tourniquet and use of a pressure bandage (Israeli for the win!) are also must-have skills, and well ahead of tamponing a GSW.

Quikclot

Kit is a way to help make a job easier, not a substitute for skills you SHOULD have. Basics of packing a wound (warning: just a tad graphic):

Packing a Wound

Know what you're doing, troops. Civvie medicine and military medicine are different, and survival medicine is an entirely different animal. Packing a wound with gauze is horrendously painful, and generally not a part of civvie medicine unless you're dealing with a GSW. Learn the differences between the three, and keep them in mind.

DE

reply to post by anxietydisorder

I have been told by more than one chef that the quickest way to get blood to clot would be to use coffee grounds. Seem to do the trick for them, since they work around knives all day

Originally posted by EyesWideShut
They kinda squared that away with , QuikClot™ ACS™+ ... 1st get QuikClot did have that problem though.

They may have got rid of the heat, but it would seem from recent study data that they got rid of the product's efficiency as well. I know of a large study where the ACS+ was withdrawn because it failed to stop bleeding on 6 consecutive occassions.

Just thought I'd let you know