In-situ Hydrothermal Synthesis of Zeolite-PVA Hemostatic Sponge and Its Rapid Hemostasis in a Lethal Massive Hemorrhage Model

Abstract

Efforts to improve the survival rates of patients with severe hemorrhage are highly dependent on hemostatic materials to achieve rapid and timely hemostasis. Zeolites have demonstrated their superb procoagulant property and been made into various forms of commercial hemostatic dressings, including zeolite granules, zeolite-cotton gauze, and zeolite-cotton balls. In this work, a zeolite-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite sponge was fabricated without using any additional organic binders by in-situ hydrothermal synthesis method. This spongiform zeolite-based hemostatic material conforms well to irregular wound surfaces and provide sustained pressure on the entire surface, making it more applicable to hemostasis of wounds with irregular concave-convex surfaces compared with current zeolite hemostatic materials. In a rabbit model of lethal massive hemorrhage, the hemostasis time of the zeolite-PVA group (195 s) was significantly shorter than that of the reference cotton gauze group (307 s). And the blood loss in the zeolite-PVA group (13.0 g) was approximately half of that in the cotton gauze group (23.8 g). Consequently, the zeolite-PVA group achieved 100% survival rate in this severe hemorrhage model, while the survival rate in the cotton gauze group is only 75%. This new zeolite-based hemostatic material expands the practical usage of zeolite composite materials, and provides a promising solution for massive hemorrhage control in pre-hospital trauma treatment.