Popular Science's online story describes it as “essentially half syringe, half tampon applicator,” but the RevMedx XStAT is truly a lifesaver, or “the miraculous medical sponge in a syringe,” as the article refers to it.
The product is made by RevMedx, Inc., a Wilsonville, OR-based producer of “revolutionary medical products designed specifically for combat medics and civilian first responders.”
The company says, “XStat® is a first-in-kind hemostatic device for the treatment of gunshot and shrapnel wounds.XStat works by injecting a group of small, rapidly expanding sponges into a wound cavity using a syringe-like applicator. Each sponge contains an x-ray detectable marker. In the wound, the XSTAT sponges expand and swell to fill the wound cavity within 20 seconds of contact with blood. This creates a temporary barrier to blood flow and provides hemostatic pressure.”
FDA approved XSTAT in April 2014. A FoxNews.com video, “Injectable sponges used for first time to stop soldier’s bleeding,” describes how these sponges can save lives in under 20 seconds.
