Antihemorrhagic

Antihemorrhagic

An antihemorrhagic (antihaemorrhagic) agent is a substance that promotes hemostasis (stops bleeding). They may also be known as hemostatic (also spelled haemostatic) agents. Styptics (also spelled stiptics) are a specific type of antihemorrhagic agent that work by contracting tissue to seal injured blood vessels. Antihemorrhagic agents used in medicine have various mechanisms of action. Systemic drugs work by inhibiting fibrinolysis or promoting coagulation. Locally-acting hemostatic agents work by causing vasoconstriction or promoting platelet aggregation.

Medicine

Systemic

There are several classes of antihemorrhagic drugs used in medicine. These include antifibrinolytics, vitamin K, fibrinogen, and blood coagulation factors.

Local

Topical hemostatic agents have been gaining popularity for use in emergency bleeding control, especially in military medicine. They are available in two forms - as a granular powder poured on wounds, or embedded in a dressing.

There are currently two hemostatic chemicals used in commercial products. Chitosan is used in Celox (a granular powder) and HemCon (a dressing). Zeolite is used in QuikClot (a dressing).

As a kind of hybrid of local and systemic, topical hemostatic bandage D-Stat Dry is medicated with thrombin coagulation factor. [Cite web
url=http://www.vascularsolutions.com/products/dstat-dry/
title=D-Stat Dry
publisher=Vascular Solutions (product distributor)
accessdate=2008-05-23
]

Styptics

Styptics for personal use are typically made from alum or titanium dioxide, and come in the form of styptic pencils, used to treat shaving cuts, and styptic powder, for staunching wounds from cutting animal nails.

Pencil

A styptic or hemostatic pencil is a short stick of medication, usually anhydrous aluminum sulfate (a type of alum) or titanium dioxide, which is used for staunching blood by causing blood vessels to contract at the site of the wound.

Before safety razors were invented, it was an essential part of a shaving kit and was used to seal cuts caused by improper shaving. [http://www.executive-shaving.co.uk/shavepedia/Styptic_Pencil Styptic Pencil - what is and why do I need to use a styptic pencil ] ] Some people continue to use styptic pencils for minor skin wounds from safety or electric razors.

While effective at stopping blood loss, some who use it feel that the sting of the medication as it takes effect can be worse than the pain of the cut itself. More "natural" ingredients such as aloe add a "more soothing alternative". [ [http://www.ftmguide.org/shaving.html Hudson's Guide: All About Shaving] ]

A frequent source of confusion appears to be the difference between styptic and caustic pencils which are not used to staunch minor cuts.

Powder

Styptic powder is used to stop bleeding from nails that are clipped too closely. This powder is generally used on animals, such as dogs, cats, rabbits, and birds, where the vein is found in the center of the nail.

Styptic powder can also be used to stop bleeding caused by cuts and nicks while shaving.

References

ee also

*ATC code B02 – Antihemorrhagics
*Hemostatic clamp
*QuikClot
*Zeolite
*Phytoremediation, Hyperaccumulators

External links

; Medical hemostatic agents
* [http://www.celoxmedical.com/ Celox]
* [http://www.hemcon.com/Home.aspx HemCon]
* [http://www.z-medica.com/quikclot/ QuikClot]
* [http://www.vascularsolutions.com/products/dstat-dry/ D-Stat]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Antihemorrhagic — An ti*hem or*rhag ic, a. (Med.) Tending to stop hemorrhage. n. A remedy for hemorrhage. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • antihemorrhagic — 1. adjective That stops or reduces hemorrhage. 2. noun Any drug etc. that stops or reduces hemorrhage …   Wiktionary

  • antihemorrhagic — Arresting hemorrhage. SYN: hemostatic (2). * * * an·ti·hem·or·rhag·ic or chiefly Brit an·ti·haem·or·rhag·ic .hem ə raj ik adj tending to prevent or arrest hemorrhage * * * an·ti·hem·or·rhag·ic (an″te ) (an″ti hem″o rajґik) 1.… …   Medical dictionary

  • Antihemorrhagic — A substance used to prevent excessive bleeding. Brownea, Caesalpinia, Cajanus, Cecropia, Chrysophyllum, Cissampelos, Citrus, Coccoloba, Cocos, Commelina, Cyathula, Dendropogon, Entada, Equisetum, Eryngium, Gossypium, Guarea, Guazuma, Mangifera,… …   EthnoBotanical Dictionary

  • antihemorrhagic factor — noun a fat soluble vitamin that helps in the clotting of blood • Syn: ↑vitamin K, ↑naphthoquinone • Hypernyms: ↑fat soluble vitamin • Hyponyms: ↑vitamin K1, ↑phylloquinone, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • vitamin — One of a group of organic substances, present in minute amounts in natural foodstuffs, that are essential to normal metabolism; insufficient amounts in the diet may cause deficiency diseases. [L. vita, life, + amine] v. A 1. any β …   Medical dictionary

  • Dam, Henrik — ▪ Danish biochemist in full  Carl Peter Henrik Dam   born Feb. 21, 1895, Copenhagen, Den. died April 1976, Copenhagen       Danish biochemist who, with Edward A. Doisy (Doisy, Edward Adelbert), was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or… …   Universalium

  • C11H7O2C5H8nH — vitamin K2 vitamin K2, vitamins K2 vitamins K2 . one of the two K vitamins, actually a mixture of homologous fat soluble substituted naphthoquinones (called {menaquinones}), ({C11H7O2[C5H8]nH}), where n may be 1 to 13 but is mostly 7 to 9. The… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • C31H46O2 — vitamin K1 vitamin K1 n. one of the two K vitamins, ({C31H46O2}). It is fat soluble and occurs naturally as the trans isomer. Chemically it is 2 methyl 3 phytyl 1,4, naphthoquinone. Syn: phylloquinone, phytonadione, antihemorrhagic vitamin..… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • menaquinones — vitamin K2 vitamin K2, vitamins K2 vitamins K2 . one of the two K vitamins, actually a mixture of homologous fat soluble substituted naphthoquinones (called {menaquinones}), ({C11H7O2[C5H8]nH}), where n may be 1 to 13 but is mostly 7 to 9. The… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”