Construction workers face all types of cutting hazards, from saw blades, to box cutters, to hook knives. HVAC sheet metal fabricators also need to exercise care against cuts. For cuts that aren't bad enough to require a trip to the ER, there's WoundSeal, a topical powder that doctors have used for years to stop bleeding instantly.
Now available through occupational first aid distributors and over the counter at national pharmacies, WoundSeal is a topical powder that stops external bleeding through the creation of an instant, protective and waterproof scab. Ideal for the jobsite, the easy-to-use powder enables injured workers to effectively treat their own wound in order to get back to work quickly. In the home, treating a bleeding wound is typically very easy due to the availability of first aid supplies and the clean environment of the home. But out on a construction site, it’s a different story. “When accidents happen, especially in the construction industry where there are many contaminates such as dirt, grease and dust that can enter a wound, it is critically important to treat the wound immediately to avoid adverse health outcomes,” states Louis M. Guzzi, MD, a prominent Orlando critical care physician. “In the ER, I’ve treated the injured who couldn’t stop their bleeding wound and those who come to my office a day later because their ailing wound was treated with duct tape, glue or not at all. “In many cases, most of these trips to seek medical care could have been avoided if the injured worker could have stopped the bleeding quickly and protect it from the elements. That’s why I’m excited to see that WoundSeal, the same product I use in the hospital, is now available for purchase. I’m confident that this one first-aid product will help save both the worker and his/her employer money, time and aggravation.”
Sources say that while hemostatic agents, such as styptic pencils, have been on the market for minor shaving nicks and paper cuts, WoundSeal is the only product that can treat a broad range of external bleeding wounds.
Here's how it works once a cut occurs:
• The person tries to clean the bleeding wound if possible and lets the wound re-bleed. Blood is necessary for the powder to work.
• With blood present, the person pours the topical powder - comprised of a hydrophilic polymer and potassium ferrate – onto the wound and applies light pressure. Powder + Pressure = Instant Scab.
• The powder interacts with the wound’s blood to form a protective scab in seconds. Note: the powder works independently of the body’s blood-clotting cascade to stop bleeding without entering the blood stream.
• The instant scab protects the wound and is waterproof. It falls off naturally as the wound heals.
Through WoundSeal’s breakthrough technology, consumers treating a bleeding wound can now reduce the number of steps and products used to one easy-to-use application and reduce actual bleeding time from minutes, hours or even days (as with senior citizens) to just seconds. Unlike traditional gauze, tape and bandages, WoundSeal is guaranteed to stop external bleeding.
“For construction workers who bleed easily and persistently because of a medical condition or prescribed medicine, WoundSeal is one of the biggest revelations in occupational first aid since adhesive bandages were introduced more than 100 years ago,” states Dr. Guzzi. “The ability to go from many products to just one – and increase the effectiveness of stopping bleeding – is a tremendous step forward in wound care.”
Clinically Proven and Tested
While the topical powder is new on retail shelves, it is has been in use at leading hospitals for several years. Additionally, sports medicine professionals and trainers have also used the powder to stop bleeding at the collegiate and pro levels. Through WoundSeal Powder, people in industries that are likely to get frequent cuts or lacerations now have access to the same topical powder doctors use and what researchers have studied in the following:
- The Science of a “Seal” for PICC Line Management: BioSeal CVC Powder: An Alternative Hemostatic Agent That Keeps Sites Dry and Intact. 2010. Florida Hospital. (Editor’s Note: BioSeal and StatSeal are trade names of WoundSeal in the hospital).
- Comparative Efficacy and Safety Results of Topical Hemostatic Powder and Sterile Compressed Foam Sponge in Second Intention Healing Following Mohs Micrographic Surgery. 2010. University of Indiana.
- Comparison of a Novel Hemostatic Agent to Currently Available Agents in a Swine Model of Lethal Arterial Extremity Hemorrhage. 2007. Study sponsored by the US Department of Defense.
WoundSeal is nationally available through occupational health / first aid suppliers and at Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS and other retailers. Visit woundseal.com for exact store locations and list of distributors.
— Source: BioLife, LLC.