Army halts use of new anti-blood loss product

[unhappycamper]

Army halts use of new anti-blood loss product
By Pauline Jelinek - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Dec 23, 2008 13:37:14 EST

WASHINGTON — Until more testing can be done, Army medics are being told to stop using a new product just sent to the war front to help control bleeding among wounded troops.

Officials were in the process of distributing some 17,000 packets of WoundStat, granules that are poured into wounds when special bandages, tourniquets or other efforts won’t work. But a recent study showed that, if used directly on injured blood vessels, the granules may lead to harmful blood clots, officials said Tuesday.

The Army Medical Command will continue its research and work with the manufacturer in hopes of figuring out in the next few months whether to resume use of WoundStat, said Col. Paul Cordts, head of Army health policy and services.

WoundStat manufacturer TraumaCure, Inc., of Bethesda, Md., had no immediate comment.

The product had been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It was one of the latest in a series of Army efforts to improve survival rates on the battlefield.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/12/ap_army_woundstat_122308/%2e



uhc comment: On 10,17.2008, the Army announced "Soldiers in war zones to be given new bandages." Then on 10.20.2008 another recommendation.

Don't these guys test anything before buying it?