Efficacy and safety of CounterFlow in animal models of hemorrhage

LAY SUMMARY The efficacy of current hemostatic technologies is limited by several factors. Outward blood flow washes hemostatic drugs away from the wound, and hemostatic drugs often require focus, training, and time to use correctly, are highly specific to one type of injury, or pose severe safety risks. CounterFlow is a novel product that could potentially save military and civilian lives by stopping heavy bleeding from a variety of organs and other bodily locations that current technology cannot easily treat. Upon contact with blood, CounterFlow releases bursts of gas to safely self-propel bio-degradable clot-forming and clot-stabilizing drugs against blood flow, delivering them to the source of bleeding. This unique mechanism allows CounterFlow to be applied quickly to a wide assortment of wounds and to act effectively with little management after application. CounterFlow was tested in multiple animal models representing common and deadly bleeding scenarios, including internal bleeding, care under fire without compression, and surgical bleeding, and it was found to outperform current care options by stopping bleeds faster and increasing survival times. CounterFlow is also safe to use and biocompatible. This narrative review summarizes studies testing the effectiveness and safety of CounterFlow, discusses useful applications, and describes future plans for the product.