Life-saving bandage issued to Australians

 

By PTE John Wellfare

FLTLT Belinda Ball tends to a patient at a coalition medical facility north of Baghdad.

Photo by CPL Neil Ruskin

The Hemcon bandage.

AUSTRALIAN ground forces serving in Iraq have been issued a new US-made bandage designed to quickly seal wounds and prevent significant blood loss.

The current shell dressing relies on compression to control bleeding, while the Hemcon bandage uses a natural material that becomes extremely adhesive when in contact with blood or moisture.

It’s designed to seal the injured area without blocking blood vessels and control arterial bleeding within 3-4 minutes, improving the survival chances of a casualty.

The bandage has been in use by US forces in Iraq and attracted the attention of CDF General Peter Cosgrove and CA Lieutenant-General Peter Leahy, who initiated efforts to acquire the bandage for Australians.

The Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration had not yet approved the bandage.

But after advice from the Defence Health Services Branch, the Army decided to issue the Hemcon bandage immediately because it would increase a person’s chance of survival if they were injured.

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