title: mRDH bandage for surgery and trauma: data summary and comparative review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bleeding often poses significant life-threatening situations to surgeons. After trauma, a one-third of civilian casualties and one-half of combat casualties die as a result of exsanguination. Recent advances have provided promising new hemostatic dressings that are applied directly to severely bleeding wounds in the pre-hospital period.
  
  
  METHODS
  The modified Rapid Deployment Hemostat (mRDH) trauma/surgery bandage, containing fully acetylated, diatom-derived, poly-N-acetyl-glucosamine fibers, has a unique multifactorial hemostatic action that incorporates vasoconstriction, erythrocyte agglutination, and platelet and RBC activation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Animal studies have shown that the mRDH bandage quickly and completely stops both venous and arterial bleeding, even in the presence of a coagulopathy. A prospective study in humans is in accord with these findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mRDH trauma/surgery bandage was able to increase survival of patients after high-grade liver trauma with an associated coagulopathy. Additional clinical studies support this result.
authors.affiliation: Naval Blood Research Laboratory, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: C Robert
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Valeri
authors.forename: John N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Vournakis
mesh_terms: D000117:Acetylglucosamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001458:Bandages; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006488:Hemostasis, Surgical; D006801:Humans; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: C113831:poly-N-acetyl glucosamine; D000117:Acetylglucosamine