A hemostatic dressing is gauze treated or constructed so that blood clots faster on contact.
You pack it firmly into the wound and hold pressure on it. It is used where a tourniquet will not work, such as the neck, shoulder, armpit, or groin. Three are accepted by the program for STOP THE BLEED® kits.
Each is a medical device cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration through the 510(k) process. They are listed below in no particular order.
Teleflex · 3 in. × 4 yd., Z-fold
Gauze impregnated with kaolin, a mineral that activates the body’s own clotting process on contact. This is the public-access version of QuikClot® Combat Gauze®, the kaolin dressing that has been on the CoTCCC recommended list since 2008. Same gauze, packaged for kits sold to the public.
FDA 510(k) K072474 (2007); see also K123387 (2013). Product code FRO.
Celox Medical (Medtrade Products) · 3 in. × 5 ft., Z-fold
Gauze coated with chitosan, which bonds to blood cells and tissue to form a gel plug that seals the wound. The manufacturer states this action does not depend on the injured person’s own clotting, which it notes as relevant for people who take blood thinners. It is Z-folded so it pulls out of the package cleanly while you pack.
FDA 510(k) K080097 (Celox Gauze, 2008); Celox Rapid Z-fold K110386 (2011). Product code QSY. Confirm the SKU licensees pack and its label.
Beeken Biomedical · Z-fold and 4 in. × 4 in. formats
Gauze made from a blend of cellulose and silica fibers rather than a coating. It absorbs fluid and concentrates blood cells and clotting factors at the wound surface. It contains no animal or shellfish-derived material.
FDA 510(k) K183190 (2019); NuStat XR K160578 (2016). Regulated under 21 CFR 878.4454, Class II. Confirm the SKU licensees pack and its label.
Medical devices, not accessories
A hemostatic dressing is a medical device that reaches the U.S. market only after the Food and Drug Administration has reviewed a premarket notification, known as a 510(k), and cleared it. Each of the three dressings above holds its own 510(k) clearance, listed with its entry. Two of the three also appear on the Department of Defense Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (CoTCCC) recommended devices list. The program reviews every dressing against its own requirements for use by members of the public with the training the STOP THE BLEED® class provides, and accepts only those that meet them.
Only these three may be packed in a STOP THE BLEED® Intermediate or Advanced Kit. A licensee cannot substitute another dressing, and a dressing sold on its own under the STOP THE BLEED® name must be one of the three. If a kit you are offered contains something else, buy from a licensed seller and look more closely.
You need training to use a hemostatic dressing properly. They come in the Intermediate and Advanced Kits. The Basic Kit uses plain gauze instead, and packed correctly, plain gauze works. Find a class near you.
QuikClot, Combat Gauze, Celox, and NuStat are trademarks of their respective owners and are used here to identify accepted devices. FDA 510(k) clearance is a determination of substantial equivalence to a legally marketed device; it is not FDA approval or endorsement. Cleared indications vary by product and package; refer to the instructions for use supplied with the dressing. 510(k) numbers are shown for reference and should be confirmed against the FDA 510(k) database.