08/19/2024

The FDA Clears Traumagel to Stop Severe Bleeding in Seconds

In a nation wrought by gun violence, this device could save countless lives

As advanced as medicine is in some areas, when it comes to stopping bleeding, most solutions are decidedly old school: applying pressure and trying to absorb blood with powder or by packing wounds with gauze. Traumagel, which earned the Food and Drug Administration’s medical device clearance on Wednesday, could change how first responders address severe bleeding.

Traumagel, which will launch later this year, is a 30-ml syringe of an algae- and fungi-based hemostatic gel that’s the color and texture of hummus. It can be applied directly into a wound, helping stanch bleeding within seconds. The FDA cleared its use for moderate to severe bleeding. Joe Landolina, founder of Brooklyn-based Cresilon, which makes Traumagel, said that, in addition to stopping bleeding quickly, the product's "flowable" properties improve the safety of treating something like a gunshot wound.

"If you have a roll of gauze, you have to pack that into a bullet wound inch by inch, and you have to ensure it’s making contact with whatever’s bleeding," Landolina said. "It's painful for the patient and it's dangerous because it can expose an EMT or emergency physician to shrapnel or shards of bone. [Traumagel] finds its way to where it needs to go."

Please select this link to read the complete article from Fast Company.