QuikClot
QuikClot is a brand of hemostatic wound dressing that contains an agent that promotes blood clotting. The brand is owned by Teleflex.[1] It is primarily used by militaries and law enforcement to treat hemorrhaging from trauma.
Mechanism[edit]
QuikClot was originally available as a granulate to be poured directly on a wound to stem bleeding.
The Kaolin in QuikClot Interventional bandages absorb the water molecules in blood, leaving behind the relatively bigger platelets and clotting factor molecules. The higher concentration of these remaining cells and molecules cause them to naturally clot faster.[8] Kaolin activates factor XII, a protein factor which assists in the initiation of the coagulation cascade, a protein chain reaction which promotes blood clotting as a result of trauma. Later, QuikClot was formulated using zeolite beads, which promoted clotting directly through activation of the coagulation cascade.[9]
Use by the US military[edit]
In the Tactical Combat Casualty Care Guidelines published by the CoTCCC (Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care) in 2014, QuikClot Combat Gauze was listed as the ideal hemostatic dressing to be used for external hemorrhage not amenable to tourniquet use or as an adjunct to tourniquet removal if evacuation time is anticipated to be longer than 2 hours.[10] In the TCCC Guidelines published in 2021, Combat Gauze remained the choice hemostatic dressing for such an injury.[11]