A non-vented seal is the TCCC answer when no vented seal is at hand — and it only works if someone keeps watching the breathing and lifts the tab when it gets worse.
At a glance
10 things to know about FoxSeal
What a non-vented seal is for, how to vent it, and the two warnings printed on the pouch.
-
01
Two seals in one pouch
Each sterile pouch holds two occlusive dressings, 5.1 × 5.2 in. (13 × 13.2 cm) each, so an entry and an exit wound are covered from one package.4,5
-
02
Made by the maker of CELOX™
FoxSeal is manufactured by Medtrade Products Ltd — the company behind CELOX™ hemostatics — and distributed in the United States by Safeguard Medical as REF 20-350.4,5
-
03
Flat, never folded
The seals ride flat in a 6.25 in. (15.88 cm) square pouch that fits an IFAK without folding.3 Medtrade's point: a dressing stored folded can carry a permanent crease that keeps it from sealing.6
-
04
No valve — the tab is the vent
FoxSeal is valve-free by design. A corrugated, high-visibility peel tab lets you lift the edge to vent the chest, and the adhesive re-seals afterward.3,6 The pouch instruction: use the tab to vent and re-seal, if required.4
-
05
Where a non-vented seal fits
The TCCC Guidelines call for a vented chest seal on every open or sucking chest wound, and a non-vented seal when no vented one is available. Either way, the casualty is monitored for a developing tension pneumothorax and the seal is burped or removed if breathing worsens.1,9
-
06
Why the watching matters
In swine with an open chest wound, vented and unvented seals both improved breathing at first. When air kept leaking into the chest, the unvented seal led to tension pneumothorax after about 1.4 L; the vented seal did not.8 A non-vented seal needs a responder who keeps reassessing and lifts the tab.
-
07
Adhesive for wet or hairy skin
Medtrade and Safeguard describe the adhesive as working on wet or hairy skin, with adhesion performance demonstrated at −18 °C (0 °F) and +55 °C (131 °F) in Medtrade's in-vitro testing.3,6 Wipe dirt and fluid off the skin first — it is step one on the pouch.4
-
08
Covers wounds up to 15 cm long
Each seal is rated for injuries up to 15 cm in maximum length.3
-
09
Two warnings on the pouch
It is not meant to be used to improvise a three-sided (flutter-valve) dressing, and a decompression needle is never placed through it.4
-
10
Not evidence-based standard — and neither is any chest seal
The Evidence-Based Standard Devices & Adjuncts list has no chest-seal entries.2 Absence from the list does not by itself mean a product was tested and failed. FoxSeal is sterile, not made with natural rubber latex, and listed with the FDA as a Class I, 510(k)-exempt occlusive wound dressing.4,5,7
How to apply FoxSeal
The five steps on the pouch, inside the TCCC approach to an open chest wound.
-
1Find every hole. Expose the chest and check the back, the sides and the armpits — the back is the wound people miss. Never pack gauze into a chest wound.
-
2Cover it now. Put a gloved hand over the hole — or have the casualty use their own — while you tear the pouch open at any of the four notches.3
-
3Wipe the skin. Wipe dirt and fluid from the skin around the wound.4
-
4Grip the tab, peel the liner. Take out one FoxSeal, grip the tab and peel the clear liner to expose the adhesive.4
-
5Center it on the out-breath. Place the dressing centered on the wound, adhesive side down — preferably as the casualty breathes out, when pressure inside the chest is lower.4
-
6Press it down all around. Firmly press the dressing to the skin around the wound to seal it.4
-
7Seal the second hole. If there is another wound, repeat with the second seal from the same pouch.4
-
8Watch — and lift the tab if breathing worsens. Unconscious and breathing: recovery position. Conscious: a position of comfort, often sitting up. If breathing gets worse, lift the edge with the tab to vent, then re-seal, or remove the seal; trained providers decompress as the TCCC Guidelines direct — never through the dressing.1,4
Where it fits
- Open or sucking chest wounds when no vented seal is available1
- Entry and exit wounds — two seals in one pouch4
- IFAKs and pouches where space is tight — the pouch stays flat3
- Securing a water-impermeable cover over eviscerated abdominal organs that cannot be replaced; the TCCC Guidelines name a chest seal as one adhesive option1
- First choice when a vented seal is at hand — TCCC puts vented first1
- Improvising a three-sided (flutter-valve) dressing4
- A decompression needle through the dressing4
- Packing — never pack anything into the chest or abdomen
- Routine use on a patient receiving positive-pressure ventilation — the NAEMSP position is that chest seals may be harmful there12
The evidence
No study has tested FoxSeal by name. These are the studies that define where a non-vented seal fits.
| Study | Evidence type | What was studied | What it found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kheirabadi et al., J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2013 | Animal · swine | Vented vs unvented seal on an open chest wound with ongoing air leak, 8 swine | Both seals improved breathing at first; the unvented seal led to tension pneumothorax after ~1.4 L of air, the vented seal prevented it |
| Schauer et al., J Spec Oper Med 2017 | Human · combat registry | Prehospital Trauma Registry, Afghanistan: 62 casualties with gunshot or puncture wounds to the chest | 74.2% received a chest seal; most seals placed were not vented, despite the guideline change to vented seals |
| Butler et al., J Spec Oper Med 2013 | Expert review · guideline change | TCCC Guidelines Change 13-02 on open pneumothorax | Vented chest seal first; non-vented if no vented seal is available; monitor and burp, remove or decompress |
| Kuhlwilm, J Spec Oper Med 2021 | Expert review | Chest-seal studies compared with eight international guidelines | Vented seals appear superior; most guidelines prefer them, but some civilian guidelines do not |
| Lyng et al. (NAEMSP), Prehosp Emerg Care 2024 | Expert review · position statement | Structured literature review on EMS care of traumatic pneumothorax | EMS may consider a vented seal in spontaneously breathing patients; seals may be harmful with positive-pressure ventilation |
Animal data drive the vented-first rule; the combat registry shows how often non-vented seals were still the ones placed.11 Adhesion figures for FoxSeal are the manufacturer's in-vitro data.
How it compares
Other ways to put two seals — or one vented seal — in the kit.
| FoxSeal™ Twin Pack | SAM® Chest Seal Combo | Russell Chest Seal® | Sentinel™ Chest Seal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In the package | 2 non-vented seals | 2 seals — 1 valved, 1 non-valved | 1 vented seal | 1 vented seal + gauze wipe |
| How it vents | No valve — lift the peel tab to vent, then re-seal | TRUFLOW™ raised-dome one-way valve (valved seal only) | Four peripheral apertures in a laminar hydrogel dressing | Dual vents: blood out the lower vent, air out the upper |
| Seal size | 5.1 × 5.2 in. (13 × 13.2 cm) | 7 × 7 in. (17.8 cm), oval | 8 × 6 in. (20.3 × 15.2 cm) | 6.5 × 6.5 in. (DLA record) |
| Role under TCCC | When no vented seal is available | Vented seal first; non-valved for a second wound | Vented — first choice | Vented — first choice |
| FDA status | Class I, 510(k)-exempt | FDA-cleared, K102403 | Class I, 510(k)-exempt | Class I, 510(k)-exempt |
| evidence-based standard | No — the list names no chest seal | No — the list names no chest seal | No — the list names no chest seal | No — the list names no chest seal |
Designs and sizes from each manufacturer; the Sentinel's size from its DLA record. TCCC role per the TCCC Guidelines.1
Build the system
Vented seals for first choice, the maker's hemostatic, a kit that carries FoxSeal, the trainer, and the rest of the IFAK.
Questions buyers ask
Package & specifications
Specifications coming soon. Contact us for detailed product information.
Domestic & Military Shipping
Free Standard Shipping: Automatically applied at checkout on all orders $200 and above within the 48 contiguous United States (CONUS).
APO/FPO Military Addresses: Unconditionally free standard shipping on every order, with no minimum purchase required.
Order Processing & Tracking
Fulfillment Timeline: In stock merchandise ships within 48-72 hours from Florida HQ.
Automated carrier tracking details are emailed immediately upon shipment dispatch.
30-Day Returns & Medical Safety
Returns: Unused, unopened equipment in original manufacturer packaging is eligible for return within 30 days of delivery.
Bio-Safety Notice: To ensure sterility and patient safety, medical consumables with opened or broken tamper-evident seals cannot be returned.
Return Facility: MED-TAC International Corp., 15757 Pines Blvd, Suite 154, Pembroke Pines, FL 33027.
Export Compliance
North American Rescue (NAR) products and rifle hard armor plates are strictly restricted to US and APO/FPO addresses and cannot be exported internationally.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Customer Reviews
Estimate shipping rates:
Calculate shipping rates
Coupon code will work on checkout page.







