Uncontrolled bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death in trauma. It accounts for approximately 40 percent of all trauma deaths and roughly 35 percent of deaths from civilian gunshot wounds — the majority of which occur in the period before emergency medical services arrive. In those minutes, the tools currently available to bystanders and first responders are effective but imperfect: direct pressure, tourniquets for extremity wounds, and granular hemostatic agents that require technique and time to apply effectively.
