Hemostatic dressings are a valuable adjunct in external hemorrhage control when the source of bleeding is a location not amenable to tourniquet placement, such as in junctional regions (ie, neck, axilla, and groin).

When should hemostatic agents be used?

A panel of experts in prehospital trauma care convened by the American College of Surgeons recently recommended the prehospital use of topical hemostatic agents in conjunction with direct pressure for controlling hemorrhage in injuries where direct pressure alone is ineffective or not practical and in cases where ...

In what circumstance would it be most appropriate to apply a hemostatic dressing?

Areas such as the chest, abdomen, arm pits, and groin are the most common areas where hemostatic dressings are applied. However, hemostatic dressing may be used on other bleeding sites where bleeding has been not been controlled by direct pressure or tourniquet use.