AloeVera Polymer Useful for Hemorrhagic Shock

The central ingredient of the fluid comes from the slick substance inside the leaves of the aloe vera plant. It is a mucilage, rich in polysaccharides and has a high molecular mass and specific viscoelastic properties that allow it to reduce resistance to turbulent flow when added to a fluid in minute concentrations.

"Soldiers wounded in combat often lose significant amounts of blood, and there is no practical way to replace the necessary amount of blood fast enough on the front lines,” said senior author Mitchell P. Fink, M.D., professor and chair, department of critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (PA, USA; www.medschool.pitt.edu). "Medics would need only to carry a small amount of this solution, which could feasibly be administered before the soldier is evacuated to a medical unit or facility.”




Related Links:
U. of Pittsburgh School of Med.