Successful use of a military haemostatic agent in patients undergoing extracorporeal circulatory assistance and delayed sternal closure

Abstract

We report the successful control of bleeding in two patients who underwent post-cardiotomy extracorporeal circulatory support (ECMO) and then developed life-threatening bleeding due to severe coagulopathy. After the failure of conventional techniques, bleeding control was achieved using Celox Gauze (MedTrade Products Ltd, Cheshire, UK) packed on the sternal edges and pericardial cavity.