Wound Stat

[Surgicalcric]

Guys, this is coming down the pipe as you can see... It bears passing along to everyone using this stuff....

FROM
CDRUSAMMA FT DETRICK MD//MCMR-MMO-SO//

***PRIORITY***MESSAGE NOT RELEASED

****************UNCLASSIFIED****************

SUBJ: T0B-1218-002
NEW SOLDIER HEMOSTATIC DRESSINS / WOUNDSTAT / MEDICAL INFORMATION


REFERENCE: ALARACT 239/2008, NEW SOLDIER HEMOSTATIC DRESSINGS

1. THIS FRAGO DIRECTS TEMPORARY CESSATION OF USE OF WOUNDSTAT™ (WS) BY 68W COMBAT MEDICS AND ALL OTHER PROVIDERS DUE TO NEWLY IDENTIFIED SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT THIS PRODUCT, PENDING FURTHER EVALUATION.

2. WOUNDSTAT™ WILL BE TURNED IN TO THE MEDICAL SUPPLY SYSTEM IMMEDIATELY. UNIT SUPPLY PERSONNEL WILL TURN -IN WOUNDSTAT™ TO THEIR SUPPORTING MEDICAL SUPPLY SUPPORT ACTIVITY (SSA). THE ARMY MEDICAL SSA WILL REVIEW TRANSACTION REGISTERS AND COMPLETE 100% CONTACT WITH UNITS ISSUED WS TO ENSURE TURN-IN OF PRODUCT. ARCENT WILL SUBMIT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF WS ISSUED AND COLLECTED TO OTSG. THE ARMY MEDICAL SSA WILL HOLD WS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE OR UNTIL DISPOSITION INSTRUCTIONS ARE RECEIVED FROM OTSG.

3. DATA FROM THE US ARMY INSTITUTE OF SURGICAL RESEARCH (USAISR) SHOW THAT WS IS ASSOCIATED WITH A HIGH INCIDENCE OF BLOOD VESSEL THROMBOSIS AND DAMAGE TO THE VESSEL WALL. COMBAT GAUZE AND PLAIN KERLIX WERE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH SIMILAR FINDINGS. USE OF COMBAT GAUZE IS SAFE, ACCORDING TO CURRENT STUDIES, AND DISTRIBUTION AND USE SHOULD CONTINUE.

4. MEDICAL PERSONNEL MUST LOCATE AND EXAMINE ALL CASUALTIES PREVIOUSLY TREATED WITH WS TO VERIFY ADEQUATE LIMB PERFUSION, IF WS WAS USED TO TREAT EXTREMITY WOUNDS.

5. EXPIRATION DATE CANNOT BE DETERMINED.