Severe blood loss remains the primary cause of death from combat injuries, and to address this challenge a research team at KAIST (South Korea’s top science and technology university) set out to develop a faster and more reliable way to stop bleeding. Researchers have created a powder-based hemostatic agent that rapidly forms a strong hydrogel barrier. When applied to an injured area, the material transforms within about a second, sealing the wound almost immediately. The product hardens instantly, even in harsh environments such as battlefield and disaster zones, and its stability during storage allows it to be deployed quickly for emergency treatment. Traditional patch-type hemostatic products commonly used in medicine struggle to treat deep or irregular wounds because of their flat shape. These materials are also sensitive to heat and moisture, which limits how easily they can be stored and used in demanding settings. In contrast, the powder can absorb blood amounting to more than seven times its own weight, which allows it to quickly block blood flow, even in excessive bleeding situations. Although this research is an advanced new material technology developed with national defense purposes in mind, it has great potential for application throughout emergency medicine, including use on people who are on blood thinners.
