Folks,
An interesting read and a further interesting mix of opinions some based on fact and some based on hear say I think.
Ill give you a bit of an insight into my medical background before I start trying to put anything into perspective.
I joined the army in 1979 as a boy soldier where I became a Parachute Regiment Soldier serving all over the world and in various conflicts. In 1990 I became a military medic and then in 1994 I left the Parachute Regiment and joined 23 Parachute Field Ambulance as an RAMC medic again serving in various conflicts and peace keeping mission throughout the word.
I completed my Paramedic training whilst with 23 PFA and then went on to do a 3 year civilian course (Courtesy of the Army) to become an Operating Dept Practitioner at Southampton General Hospital. I left the Army in 2002 after a good career with plenty of medical qualifications and quickly become involved in the work of the Private Security industry working as a security operator/medic. First in Nigeria and later on in places such as Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Afghanistan. I currently work between working on board ships in the Gulf of Aden as protection against Somali Pirates and the UK teaching for security organisations that provide body guard courses etc.
Whilst in Iraq I was the senior medical advisor/instructor for a private security company of some 2,000 men and women who worked for the US Dept of Defence. It was my job to insure the correct medical training was given to all members of the company, the correct implementation of current medical protocols and update the use of current medical equipment and tactics, such as QUICK CLOT/HEMCON/CELOX/CAT.
With regards to any massive haemorrhage or arterial blood control, the simple things work first time every time and that should never be forgotten!
When we first went out to Iraq we were still using First Field Dressings (FFD) and SAMWAY tourniquets which had been in service well before I had joined the army in 1979 and it wasnt until around 2004/5 that we started to get issued the new Israeli dressing (Favoured by the US Armed forces) which is a far better dressing for the job.
We were further issued a new tourniquet system in the form of the Combat Army Tourniquet (CAT) which again was a major leap forward in medical intervention in the field and indeed as of about 12 months ago the UK NHS ambulance service have adopted these devices for themselves.
You have to remember that Haemostatic agents such as QUICK CLOT where introduced as a result of major battlefield trauma which involved massive limb and lower torso trauma. It was not introduce as some may think, to replace the tourniquet! It was in fact introduce for use in areas where a tournquet could not be used, such as high up in the groin or the arm pit, places where you just couldnt hope to apply a patent tourniquet to your casualty!
As has been mentioned, there are indeed risks or post use complications to using QUICK CLOT and if people where only to read the product information it would save major dramas on the ground!
QUICK CLOT once introduce to fluid of any kind will generate a heat approximate to that of a boiling kettle of water for approximately 15 seconds. It is made of sand, magnesium and iron. The chemical mix is what generates the heat and the sand aids coagulation of the blood. Once applied correctly the excess granules must be washed clean from the wound to avoid any potential for embolisms.
QUICK CLOT comes in two forms!
QUICK CLOT granules
QUICK CLOT T Bags (4 bags attached in a line)
As has been mentioned the granules cause great heat and potential tissue destruction as well as the possibility for an introduction of an embolism into the circulating system which could lead to a Stroke, Heart attack, etc.
The T Bag version on the other hand was introduced a couple of years after the granule version because the manufacturer realised based on post op medical reports, that the product was perhaps not the best.
SAFETY CONSIDRATIONS:
QUCIK CLOT MUST NOT BE USED IN THE FOLLOWING ANATOMICAL AREAS:
Eyes
Nose
Mouth
Cranial cavity
Thoracic cavity
Or any are of the body where there is unintentional exposure to a mucus substance
Its main function is to stem the flow of blood from a massive arterial bleed when a tourniquet cannot be used!
As you can see QUICK CLOT is perhaps not the best haemostatic agent that has ever been introduced and indeed it has mixed reviews in the medical circle. I myself withdrew it from service from our medical trauma bags because it introduced too many negatives rather than positives for saving lives!
The biggest problem with introducing too many new SHINEY medical products on both the battlefield and the civilian side of trauma care is that the user is drawn away from the basic medical protocols of treatment. Treatment which works well and works
FIRST TIME! EVERY TIME!
So in closing I would urge you all to forget about these nice new shiny items which look like they do the work for you, and instead urge you to
KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid).
After all you cannot guarantee that in any given emergency situation that you will have any medical equipment with you let alone haemostatic agents such as QUICK CLOT! So learn the basic medical intervention protocols and stick to them because your knowledge and use of the simple things around you are all you can guarantee to have on the day it may happen to you. Isnt this what BUSHCRAFT is all about?
I hope this was informative without being lecturing guys, but going off half cocked can get someone killed regardless of environment, and from the Medical Legal side of things can land you in prison for medical mall practice and negligence at best. It takes approximately 30 seconds for someone to bleed to death in your arms! It can take longer than that to mess around opening the packet and application of the product!!!!!
Cheers all
Kenny
P.S. I have not replied on the subject of other Haemostatic agents because this thread is about QUICK CLOT and i didn't want to end up writting WAR & PEACE and boring th pants of you all.
