U.S. FDA advisory meeting - TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE

On Oct. 28, the committee will discuss FDA's risk assessment for potential exposure to the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease(vCJD) agent in U.S.-licensed plasma-derived Factor VIII and labeling of blood and blood components and plasma-derived products, including plasma-derived albumin and products containing plasma-derived albumin, to address the possible risk of transmission of vCJD.
On Oct. 29, the committee will hear informational presentations related to FDA's geographic donor deferral policy to reduce the possible risk of transmission of CJD and vCJD by blood and blood products and human cells, and tissue and cellular and tissue based products. The committee also will hear updates on the development of devices to remove transmissible spongiform encephalopathy agents from blood components and chronic wasting disease.

DATE: Oct 28-29, 0830/1230

LOCATION: Holiday Inn, 2 Montgomery Village Ave., Gaithersburg, Md.

CONTACT: Bryan Emery or Rosanna Harvey, 301-827-0314

Z-Medica launches new trauma kit

WALLINGFORD, Conn., Sept. 15 (UPI) -- A new hemostatic trauma kit to quickly stop bleeding is now available to law enforcement agencies around the United States.
Z-Medica, which has headquarters in Connecticut, this week launched its QuikClot Belt Trauma Kit designed for law enforcement agencies and said it can achieve hemostasis in severe bleeding situations in as little as three minutes.
"We understand that law enforcement officers often face situations that involve traumatic bleeding where emergency medical care is not available, so we designed a practical tool to help them almost immediately stop uncontrolled bleeding," said Z-Medica Chief Executive Officer Brian Herrman. "The new QuikClot Belt Trauma Kit includes the QuikClot product that every U.S. soldier carries, and which many law enforcement officers are already carrying, combined with all of the tools needed to stop traumatic bleeding in a lightweight pack."
The 5.75-inch-by-4-inch kit includes either QuikClot First Response or QuikClot Combat Gauze, plus SWAT-Tourniquet, a cardiopulmonary resuscitation shield and gloves. The kit is designed to be worn on an officer's duty belt along with other gear, taking up little space.