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Here's how a simple invention plugs a gunshot wound in 20 seconds

Julia Calderone

2015-12-11T12:30:00Z

xstat syringe black bg

When you're severely wounded and rapidly losing blood, even just a few seconds could mean the difference between life and death.

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Soldiers on the battlefield know this all too well, as their number one cause of death is hemorrhage. But civilians suffer traumatic injuries at home as well.

Now, a simple syringe-like invention that has been used on the battlefield to stop bleeding in an astonishing 20 seconds or less has been approved for use in civilians at home.

This new device — called XStat — has the potential to save many lives.

Here's how it works.

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Warning: Some of the imagery in this post is graphic.

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The XStat device, which is made by Oregon-based medical device company RevMedx, is tiny — it could fit into your pocket.

xstat revmedx — These Xstat syringes can now be used to plug life-threatening wounds in civilians. RevMedX

Source: Popular Science

The chamber is pre-loaded with tiny sponges made from wood pulp and coated with chitosan, an antimicrobial material that promotes blood-clotting.

sponges xstat — XStat sponges are preloaded with X's that show up in an X-ray film. RevMedX

Source: Popular Science

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When a person is severely bleeding, a medic can insert the XStat device deep into the wound and plunge its contents — about 92 compressed sponges — into the cavity. (The bloodied body below is a dummy, not a person.)

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The moment the sponges touch liquid, they start to expand.

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This applies pressure to the wound and erects a barrier against blood flow almost instantaneously — within 20 seconds.

xstat dressing

The sponges are made from cellulose, a plant-based material that won't dissolve into the body.

xstat sponges

Source: FDA

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But they're preloaded with little X's that can be detected using an X-ray, just in case one gets stuck inside.

xray doctor

Each syringe has enough sponges to absorb a pint of blood. Up to three applicators can be used on one patient.

xstat syringe

Source: FDA

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Each dressing can last for up to four hours, buying time for the patient to be transported to a hospital and sent to surgery.

xstat sponges in wound

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This extra time is important. When you're severely wounded — especially if you nick a major artery — you could bleed out in just a few minutes.

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A gunshot wound, for example, could leave a body cavity as deep as 5 inches.

bleeding leg computer simulation animation

Source: Popular Science

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Stopping the bleeding in these types of wounds has been challenging for medics. If the bleeding hasn't stopped within three minutes of packing it with normal gauze, they have to pull it out and try again.

army medic

Source: Popular Science

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Tourniquets often do the trick, but they don't usually work in groin or armpit wounds.

tourniquet

Source: FDA

Each syringe will probably cost about $100, but once RevMedX starts manufacturing them, they predict the cost will go down.

xstat syringe black bg

Source: Popular Science

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And hopefully, the number of lives saved will go up.

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