From the Office of the Fire Chief of Saint Paul, Minn., Tim Fuller

Department Paramedics Begin Using Blood Clotting Agent to Control Profuse Bleeding

Saint Paul, Minn., August 1, 2002 - The Saint Paul Department of Fire and Safety Services Paramedic Units will now use TraumaDEX™ to assist in wound management with severe bleeding in the pre-hospital setting.

What is TraumaDEX? TraumaDEX is a unique, easy to use, blood-clotting agent which provides rapid hemostasis at wound sites, even in the presence of severe bleeding. TraumaDEX is a patented technology that is FDA approved and is derived from plants - not from animals or human pooled-blood sources. Basically, it is a sterile, highly purified starch material and is non toxic. TraumaDEX is considered a “medical device,” not a medication, does not react to medications and presents no risk with contamination to eyes, ingestion or inhalation. TraumaDEX has shown to be highly effective as a topical dressing for the local management of severely bleeding wounds. As such, it is appropriate for use on cuts, lacerations, abrasions and puncture wounds. TraumaDEX will allow our paramedics to control anterior nosebleeds that have been needed to be cauterized in the hospital emergency department.

In the EMS environment, it is intended for the temporary treatment of severe bleeding, enhancing the bleeding control of our paramedics while in the field or in transit to a hospital or trauma facility.

How TraumaDEX works: TraumaDEX has shown to accelerate the clotting cascade safely and efficiently, with little or no risk of infection. When applied directly, with pressure, to an actively bleeding wound, the TraumaDEX particle acts as a molecular sieve to extract fluids from the blood. TraumaDEX has been documented to control severe hemorrhage in a severed femoral artery within 30 to 60 seconds.

This medical product will rapidly control external bleeding which will enable the EMT and paramedic to focus on other aspects of patient care.

TraumaDEX is a trademark of Medafor, Inc., Fridley, Minn. TraumaDEX is distributed to the Emergency Medical Services market exclusively by Emergency Medical Products Incorporated. BACK.