Spray-on bandage dissolves on demand
Scientists in the US have developed a hydrogel-based wound sealant that can be easily applied to stem severe bleeding then gently and precisely removed to allow surgery.
On the 3 October 1993, Corporal James Smith, a 21-year-old US army ranger on operations in Mogadishu, bled to death from a gunshot wound to his thigh and pelvis. You might already know the story of that night, recounted in Mark Bowden’s book Black hawk down. The harrowing story of Smith’s death highlights how difficult it can be for a medic to control internal bleeding before it’s too late – especially if they are pinned down at night by enemy fire, hours from surgical help. Even far from the battlefield, haemorrhage is a serious threat to anyone with a severe wound. Each year, it kills more Americans than those who died in the entire Vietnam war.
To read the full article visit Chemistry World.
A hydrogel sealant for the treatment of severe hepatic and aortic trauma with a dissolution feature for post-emergent care
Marlena D. Konieczynska, Juan C. Villa-Camacho, Cynthia Ghobril, Miguel Perez-Viloria, William A. Blessing, Ara Nazarian, Edward K. Rodriguez and Mark W. Grinstaff
Journal Article Mater. Horiz., 2017, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C6MH00378H, Communication
