Lead Scientist, Christian Kastrup, an assistant professor in
the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Michael Smith
Laboratories at the University of British Columbia said, “Bleeding is the
number
one killer of young people, and maternal death from postpartum
hemorrhage can be as high as one in 50 births in low resource settings so these
are extreme problems."
Although there are many traditional methods to stop
bleeding, this self-propelled powder is the first agent to go to hard-to-reach
areas where severe bleeding happens like uterus, sinus or abdomen. According to The Herald, Kastrup and his team developed
simple, gas-generating calcium carbonate micro-particles that can be applied in
powder form to stop critical bleeding.
Almost similar to antacid tablets, the particles release
carbon dioxide gas to propel them toward the source of bleeding. The carbonate forms porous micro particles that can bind
with a clotting agent known as tranexamic acid. These are then transported
through wounds and deep into the damaged tissue.
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