PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Uncontrolled hemorrhage is the primary cause of trauma-related death, and approximately
half of hemorrhage deaths occur before the patient reaches the hospital. Current techniques for
hemorrhage control are insufficient for a large number of wounds and do not adequately address
non-compressible hemorrhages. Thus, there is a critical need for improved hemostatic dressing
materials that are inexpensive, easy to apply, effective, and safe to use over prolonged time
frames. In the absence of such treatment options, tragic deaths from uncontrolled bleeding will
continue.
The long-term goal of the proposed work is to provide an accessible option for hemorrhage
control that can be used with minimal training in remote situations. The overall objectives in this
application are to characterize efficacy of a promising biomaterial platform, shape memory
polymer (SMP) foams, in clinically-relevant hemorrhage models and to develop easy-to-use
storage and delivery devices. In preliminary work in a porcine grade V liver injury, SMP foam
treatment provided faster hemostasis, reduced total blood loss, and improved survival relative to
treatment with clinical controls. The rationale for the proposed work is that future clinical
translation efforts will be enabled by an improved understanding of how foam properties affect
hemorrhage control and expanded pre-clinical characterization of this promising platform.
To achieve these objectives, the following specific aims will be pursued:
Specific Aim 1: Evaluate effects of SMP foam architectures on hemorrhage control in in vitro
wound models, and design storage and delivery devices for non-compressible torso wounds and
compressible extremity wounds.
Specific Aim 2: Characterize SMP foam efficacy in vivo in a non-compressible grade V liver
injury.
Specific Aim 3: Characterize SMP foam application, efficacy, removal, and safety in vivo in
a compressible femoral artery injury.
At the completion of these studies, the expectation is to have clinically-relevant SMP foam-
based hemostatic device designs for use in compressible and non-compressible traumatic
wounds. The primary positive impact of these studies will be a hemostatic dressing that is easy-
to-use and effective in a range of hemorrhagic wound types.