Dispersible Emergency Response Treatment (DERT) for Hemostasis
Abstract
About 91% of potentially survivable combat deaths in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were due to hemorrhage from major trauma within 6-24 hours of injury. Since most combat casualties occur prior to accessing a medical treatment facility, point of wounding care is vital. Existing hemostatic wound treatments take at least 2-8 minutes to clot blood in traumatic wounds, leading to additional blood loss. This research project will address current Warfighter needs for hemostatic and longer-term wound treatments, both on and off the battlefield. This project addresses the Multi-Domain Lifesaving Trauma Innovations Award’s Focus Area 1 – Prolonged and En Route Care, by creating a novel capability to medical providers at Roles 1-3 to administer analgesia and anesthesia via a simple, topical delivery system; and Focus Area 2 – Battlefield Resuscitation for Immediate Stabilization of Combat Casualties, by providing an effective solution for hemorrhage to control bleeding in the prehospital environment. The commercial value of the proposed product lies in its higher level of performance compared to other hemostatic agents and its life-saving ability along with relatively low cost. The technology can be licensed to a larger company marketing wound care products. It has additional value since it can be made in different form factors, such as powder, attached to gauze, or enclosed in a porous pouch for easy application and removal from traumatic wounds. Potential issues that may limit the impact of the proposed research include the continuous research and development of similar hemostatic wound products and the existence of similar commercially available products. Strategies to overcome these obstacles include developing unique dressing formulations and incorporating adjunctive pharmacological compounds to enhance hemostasis and wound healing. The proposed product can help the United States Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) and Defense Medical Research and Development Program (DMRDP) to achieve their missions to provide solutions to medical problems of importance to the American Service member at home and abroad, as well as to the general public at large. This technology falls under USAMRDC’s research area of interest of the Joint Program Committee 6/Combat Casualty Care Research Program (JPC-6/CCCRP), which provides integrated capabilities for current and future operations to reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with major combat-related trauma across the spectrum of combat casualty care including point of injury and pre- or out-of-hospital care, the spectrum of en route care, and facilities-based treatment. In the civilian world, exsanguination following traumatic injury is also a leading cause of early death. As with military casualties, this high mortality rate is due to ongoing hemorrhagic shock caused by coagulopathy, acidosis, and hypothermia. The proposed product could be used by first responders to immediately stem blood loss and help reduce the occurrence of hemorrhagic shock. It could also be used by recreationalists in remote areas who may experience hazardous conditions but are far removed from any medical care. The proposed product can also serve as a platform technology to deliver pharmaceuticals for a variety of medical, surgical, and cosmetic applications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 10, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2010897
Entities
People
- Joanne Ebesu
Organizations
- United States Army