title: Application of current hemorrhage control techniques for backcountry care: part two, hemostatic dressings and other adjuncts.
abstract: Decade-long advances in battlefield medicine have revolutionized the treatment of traumatic hemorrhage and have led to a significant reduction in mortality. Part one of this review covered the use of tourniquets on the extremities and the newer devices for use in junctional areas. Part two focuses on the use of hemostatic agents or dressings, pelvic binders, and tranexamic acid. Field applicable hemostatic dressings are safe and effective in controlling hemorrhage not amenable to extremity tourniquet application, and newer agents with increasing efficacy continue to be developed. Most of these agents are inexpensive and lightweight, making them ideal products for use in wilderness medicine. The use of pelvic binders to stabilize suspected pelvic fractures has gained new interest as these products are developed and refined, and the prehospital use of tranexamic acid, a potent antifibrinolytic, has been found to be life saving in patients at risk of death from severe hemorrhage. Recommendations are made for equipment and techniques for controlling hemorrhage in the wilderness setting.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Medicine Department, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, VA (Dr Littlejohn).
authors.forename: Lanny
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Littlejohn
authors.affiliation: Military and Emergency Medicine Department, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, F. Hébert School of Medicine, Bethesda, MD (Dr Bennett). Electronic address: brad@wms.org.
authors.forename: Brad L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Emergency Medicine Department, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, CA (Dr Drew).
authors.forename: Brendon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Drew
mesh_terms: D001458:Bandages; D005392:First Aid / Q000379:methods*; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000628:therapy*; D006490:Hemostatics; D006801:Humans; D055813:Wilderness Medicine / Q000379:methods; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D006490:Hemostatics
keywords: bandage; dressing; hemorrhage; hemostasis; hemostatic agents; prehospital; topical; trauma