Quick Clot

[MIKE G]

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[Von Rheydt]

I know comfrey makes a good poultice to help healing.

[Submariner]

MIKE G and Iraq Ninja - Thanks!

[Gutshot John]

The problem with expired stuff is in knowing how it will react.

Almost any substance will lose efficacy as it gets older, but it can often get unstable as well especially when it relies on a chemical reaction. Does the exothermic reaction in QC get more or less intense as it ages? I don't know but maybe someone here does.

The old quik-clot isn't really like a standard drug like ASA or even relatively benign like IV fluids so without more data I'd be skeptical of using the same groundrules for determining when to use it.

Again if the alternative is death, give it a whirl.

[MIKE G]

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[Gutshot John]

Not QC but I have had a couple anecdotal reports from SOF colleagues that report Hemcons become stickier with age. Most were used in the 12-24 month beyond expiration.

Stickier as in more effective...or just stickier?

Do you know if it was the exothermic stuff?

[MIKE G]

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[Gutshot John]

Hemcon has never made an exothermic bandage that I am aware of, they always pitched the product as a cool version of hemostatic agent.

The report was that being stickier allowed it to adhere and clot in the wound better. So yes, more effective because it was stickier.

The unfortunate part is that Hemcon was pretty expensive and while it has gone down in price it is still pricey.

That's what I figured. If it's the non-exothermic stuff I'd have no problem at all using it past the expiration, especially if there was nothing else there, but it's good to know that it will keep for a long time.

I'm still curious about the old exothermic stuff and whether it will lost stability or efficacy.

[MIKE G]

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[Iraq Ninja]

For the Gen 1 QC-

I bet as long as you are getting heat, the stuff is good to go. As I remember it, the stuff absorbs water, thus concentrating the clotting factors. The absorption process into the QC is what causes the heat. Heat is a byproduct of absorption at this level.

Thus, if you have heat, you have absorption and thus removal of water and the concentration of the CF. It is really a simple system and I bet it will be good to go for a very long time as long as the powder's form is not changed through wear and tear.
I don't have any Gen 1 here, but if someone can try the following...
Grind up the granules into a fine dust and see if it still gives off heat when mixed with water.

Thinking outside the box now, what can a packet of Gen 1 QC be used for besides its intended purpose? What if you have a patient in shock? Or you need to give an IV, but you left your NS out all night in the cold.