How do I remove QuikClot® from the wound?
1. Remove all loose granules prior to irrigation and wound treatment.
2. Fully flood entire wound area with irrigation solution.
3. Proceed with normal irrigation and/or suction until all granules are removed.
How long can I leave QuikClot® in the wound?
QuikClot® adsorbs water in the blood, but it is not absorbed by the body. The product is intended for temporary external use to control traumatic bleeding. Granules should be removed when medical personnel are able to clean debris from the wound and repair damaged tissues.
How much QuikClot® do I need to use? Why is the packet 3.5 ounces?
A full packet of QuikClot® is more than enough to treat a complete bisection of the femoral artery and vein. This was the testing performed by the U.S. Navy, and the reason that the military has deployed QuikClot® with more than 500,000 of our U.S. troops. The basic rule is to pour QuikClot® slowly onto the wound until you see a layer of QuikClot® on top of the injury.
The packet is 3.5 ounces so that you are assured of having enough to treat any size wound. You can treat multiple wounds on multiple victims if the wounds are not as severe. We are considering packaging QuikClot® in smaller quantities. This will help tailor the product to different uses, rather than reducing the product price as much of our cost comes from sterilization and packaging.
Can I save an unused portion of QuikClot® for later use?
No. Once the package has been opened, the QuikClot® granules start to adsorb the moisture from the air, thus rendering them useless. You can, however, treat more than one injured person or multiple injuries on the same person with one pack of QuikClot®.
What is QuikClot®’s shelf life and are there any special storage instructions?
An unopened pack of QuikClot® has a shelf life of three years. The only storage direction is not to leave a pack of QuikClot® in direct sunlight for extended periods of time. QuikClot® can also be stored very high and low temperatures (below freezing).
Does QuikClot® have FDA approval?
Yes. Z-Medica Corp. received 510(k) clearance to market QuikClot® over the counter. (Non-prescriptive) in March of 2002. The 510(k) number is k013390. The FDA decision can be viewed at the website below by plugging in the 510(k) number: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfPMN/pmn.cfm
What care should be taken when using QuikClot®?
Following the package instructions avoids or minimizes the effects of exothermic reaction. It is important to use just enough QuikClot® to stop the bleeding that is present. Dry QuikClot® granules should be brushed away from the top of the wound area before applying irrigation solution. When removing QuikClot® from a wound, the volume of water used to irrigate should always be larger than the volume of QuikClot®. Flooding the QuikClot® granules rather than slowly applying small streams of irrigation solution minimizes the heat produced.
Are there any side effects?
The adsorption of water into the QuikClot® granules can cause an instantaneous release of heat called an exothermic reaction. The release of heat stops when the pores of the QuikClot® become filled, which, due to QuikClot®’s strong attraction for water, is only a second or two.
Is there a chemical reaction involved?
No. The interaction of the QuikClot® and the water in the blood (called adsorption) is purely physical in nature. Upon application, QuikClot® rapidly attracts water molecules, and almost instantly the internal pores are filled. There are no chemical changes to the blood, the water, or the QuikClot®. Since the reaction is physical, not biological or chemical, there is almost no chance for an allergic reaction to occur.
What causes the hemo-concentration?
QuikClot®’s main component material is called an adsorbent. It is actually a derivative of volcanic rock. It has many pores, internal and external, which capture and hold the water molecules that make up the majority of the blood. The ability to attract and hold the water molecules is due to electrostatic forces that are present in the pores of the QuikClot® material when it is dry and are liberated when the QuikClot® is saturated. These are the same type of forces that cause static cling, but in the formulation of QuikClot® they are much stronger. Water molecules are held very strongly.
The clotting factors, proteins in the blood, and the cellular components of the blood are neither attracted nor held by the QuikClot®, because they are simply too large to fit in the pore structure of the QuikClot® material. This leaves them free to do their work at the wound site.
How does QuikClot® work?
QuikClot® works by providing a hemo-concentration effect in the blood that is exiting a wound. The body’s natural clotting process is accelerated by the increased concentration of platelets and clotting factors at the wound site.
