Application of the iTClamp™ in the clinical management of haemorrhage: a case study

On 1 April 2012 the Northern Trauma System (NTS) went live to provide enhanced definitive care for patients experiencing major trauma. Within the NTS region pre-hospital practitioners are able to bypass local hospitals to attend designated major trauma centres at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) and James Cook University Hospital (JCUH). Managing many aspects of trauma are essential. However, a move to <C>ABC assessment and management, where the initial <C> is catastrophic haemorrhage, has led to a need to have adequate skills and equipment to manage catastrophic haemorrhage.

Major trauma packs containing tranexamic acid (TXA), haemostatic gauze, blast and trauma dressings, tourniquets and chest seals have been placed on all front-line vehicles to ensure that catastrophic haemorrhage can be managed in the pre-hospital environment. One concern was the difficulty in applying dressings to areas of the body such as the head, axilla and neck, which are unable to have a constricting bandage applied. iTraumaCare have developed a device called the iTClamp™. The iTClamp™ is a temporary wound closure device to control severe bleeding within seconds of application to a traumatic injury. The iTClamp™ seals the edges of a wound closed to create a temporary pool of blood under pressure, which forms a stable clot that mitigates further blood loss until the wound can be sutured or surgically repaired.