A deep junctional wound can swallow a short strip. Ten feet of chitosan gauze lets you finish the pack with the same dressing you started it with.
At a glance
12 things to know about CELOX Gauze 10 ft
How chitosan works, why the strip is ten feet long, and what the independent studies found.
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01
evidence-based standard Celox Gauze, in a longer strip
Celox Gauze is evidence-based standard: the TCCC Guidelines name it as an alternative hemostatic adjunct to Combat Gauze, the evidence-based hemostatic dressing of choice.1 The evidence-based device list carries the 5 ft Z-fold under NSN 6510-01-623-9910;2 this is CELOX Gauze in a 10 ft strip, with its own NSN, 6510-01-623-9594.6,7 Celox Gauze entered the Guidelines through TCCC Guidelines Change 13-05.13
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02
How chitosan stops bleeding
When CELOX granules meet blood they absorb its fluid and swell into a robust gel-like plug, concentrating red cells and plasma into a mechanical clot. The granules cling to surrounding tissue, which holds the plug in place while a clot forms beneath it.4 Medtrade describes this as working independently of the body's clotting cascade.4
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03
Why ten feet
The 10 ft strip carries twice the gauze of the 5 ft Z-fold. The federal stock record lists 15 g of chitosan on the 10 ft strip against 8 g on the 5 ft.7 On a deep cavity you keep feeding the same dressing; on a shallow wound you pack what fits tightly and cut or tear off the excess.3
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04
The 3-minute label lines up with TCCC
Medtrade's instructions call for firm pressure directly on the wound for 3 minutes, and additional pressure until the bleeding stops if it persists.3 The TCCC Guidelines set at least 3 minutes of direct pressure for every hemostatic dressing.1 Both are minimums — never lift your hands from a wound that is still bleeding.
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05
It produces no heat
CELOX has been tested and shown to generate no increase in heat as blood clots.4 There is no exothermic reaction to burn tissue, and the granules are bonded to the gauze, so there is nothing to pour.5
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06
Cold blood
Medtrade's laboratory testing found the product effective in blood cooled to 56 °F (13 °C).3 In a rat femoral artery model, CELOX granules controlled bleeding significantly better than compression alone under both hypothermia and warfarin treatment.16
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07
Blood thinners
Medtrade states CELOX has been tested to clot blood containing heparin and warfarin.4 In moderately heparinized swine with major liver injuries, Celox Gauze stopped bleeding in 5 of 6 attempts at first and in the sixth with further pressure; plain gauze failed in 13 of 14.11 In blood from patients on anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs, Celox Gauze sped the onset of clotting in the laboratory, though less than kaolin gauze.15 Pack and hold the same way, and watch for re-bleeding.
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08
A battlefield registry signal
A UK registry of 3,792 military trauma patients from Iraq and Afghanistan, 2003–2014, found a hemostatic dressing used in 317. Celox was the only individual agent associated with a statistically significant improvement in survival, most apparent in the most severely injured.9 A registry shows association, not cause.
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09
A human randomized trial
In 160 civilians with stab wounds to the limbs, bleeding stopped within 5 minutes in 51.3% treated with Celox-coated gauze versus 32.5% with a standard pressure dressing, and blood loss was lower with Celox.10
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10
Swine data: at least as good as Combat Gauze, not proven better
In a femoral artery model, 90% of swine treated with Celox Gauze survived against 60% with Combat Gauze, and immediate hemostasis was 70% against 30% — differences that did not reach statistical significance.8 In a 24-hour junctional model, Celox Gauze matched Combat Gauze at 60% survival but had the highest post-treatment blood loss of the groups that passed the survival threshold.12
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11
Shellfish allergy is rarely the issue
CELOX contains chitosan from shellfish, and Medtrade reports that allergy studies show no adverse reaction to date.3 In a challenge study, ten volunteers with confirmed shellfish allergy tolerated a chitosan bandage without reaction.14 In a life-threatening bleed, a reported shellfish allergy is not a reason to withhold it.
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12
FDA-cleared, sterile, five years on the shelf
FDA 510(k) K113560, CELOX Gauze PRO, cleared in August 2012, covers Celox Gauze sizes up to 3 in. × 10 ft for temporary external treatment to control moderate to severe bleeding.5 Each dressing is sterilized by irradiation, single use,3 and carries a five-year shelf life from manufacture.4
How to pack CELOX Gauze
Medtrade's instructions and the technique taught in TCCC, TECC and public bleeding-control courses, in order.
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1Find the source. Expose the wound, identify the point of bleeding and apply direct pressure. Swab away excess blood where practical.3
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2Open the pouch. Tear it open at a notch, take out the Z-folded gauze and take hold of one end.3
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3Start with a tight wad. Make the first folds into a firm ball — the "power ball" — and press it directly onto the bleeding vessel.
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4Pack to the source. Feed the unfolding gauze in tightly, one or two folds at a time, keeping pressure on what is already packed. Fill every corner until the gauze sits above skin level; cut or tear off the excess.3
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5Hold firm pressure. Press directly on the wound for at least 3 minutes — the Celox label and the TCCC minimum — and keep pressing until the bleeding stops.1,3
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6Lock it in. Secure the packing with a pressure bandage so pressure stays on the wound, and discard any unused gauze.3
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7If it keeps bleeding, repack. Remove the packing and pack again with a fresh dressing, the same type or another hemostatic.1 Piling more gauze on top of a failed pack does not fix it.
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8Hand it off. Get the casualty to a medical facility, tell the receiving team chitosan gauze is in the wound, and show them the empty pouch.3
Where it fits
- Junctional wounds — groin and armpit — where a limb tourniquet cannot be applied1
- Neck wounds, packed with care so the airway is not compressed; the lower neck above the collarbone can be packed
- Deep limb wounds where a tourniquet is not possible, or as an adjunct when a trained provider converts a tourniquet1
- Large, deep cavities where a 5 ft strip may not fill the wound
- The chest or abdomen — never pack into the chest or abdominal cavity3
- Wounds you cannot compress — the gauze needs pressure to work3
- Life-threatening limb bleeding a tourniquet can control — tourniquet first1
- The eyes — keep the dressing away from the eyes3
- Practice — train with inert trainers, not live dressings
The evidence
Every study cited above, what it tested, and how strong the evidence is.
| Study | Evidence type | What was studied | What it found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatamabadi et al., Trauma Mon 2015 | Human · randomized trial | Celox-coated gauze vs standard pressure dressing, 160 civilians with penetrating (stab) limb wounds | Hemostasis within 5 min in 51.3% vs 32.5% (faster, p = 0.01); lower blood loss with Celox |
| Winstanley et al., J R Army Med Corps 2019 | Human · combat registry | Hemostatic dressings (Celox, HemCon, QuikClot) in 3,792 UK military trauma patients, Iraq and Afghanistan, 2003–2014 | 7% survival improvement with any hemostatic; Celox the only agent with a statistically significant survival association |
| Waibel et al., Mil Med 2011 | Human · safety challenge | HemCon chitosan bandage applied to 10 volunteers with confirmed shellfish allergy | All tolerated the bandage without reaction; no protein detected in the chitosan |
| Rall et al., J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2013 | Animal · comparative | Celox Gauze vs Combat Gauze and other dressings, femoral artery injury in swine, 3-minute hold | Survival 90% Celox Gauze vs 60% Combat Gauze; immediate hemostasis 70% vs 30%; not statistically significant |
| Booms et al., Mil Med 2026 | Animal · prolonged field care | Six hemostatic dressings, fatal junctional femoral injury in swine, observed up to 24 hours | Celox Gauze survival 15.1 ± 12.2 h, 60% at 24 h (same as Combat Gauze); highest post-treatment blood loss (2.0% of body weight) |
| Millner et al., Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2010 | Animal · coagulopathy | Celox Gauze vs plain gauze, major liver injury in moderately heparinized swine | Celox Gauze stopped bleeding in 5 of 6 attempts, the sixth with further pressure; plain gauze failed in 13 of 14 |
| Köksal et al., Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg 2011 | Animal · rat | CELOX granules vs compression, femoral artery bleeding in rats under normothermia, hypothermia or warfarin | Significantly better hemostasis than compression in all three conditions |
| Lechner et al., Transfusion 2023 | Laboratory | Celox Gauze, Celox granules and other agents in blood from patients on five anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs (thromboelastometry) | All agents sped the onset of clotting; kaolin gauze gave the largest improvement, followed by the chitosans |
| Bennett et al., J Spec Oper Med 2014 | Expert review · guideline change | Chitosan gauze dressings for TCCC Guidelines Change 13-05 | Chitosan gauze at least as effective as Combat Gauze in animal models; Celox Gauze and ChitoGauze added to the TCCC Guidelines |
Strongest to weakest: human trials and registries, then animal studies, then laboratory studies. The 10 ft and 5 ft dressings are the same CELOX Gauze — non-woven gauze coated with CELOX granules — in different lengths.6,7
How it compares
The packing gauzes a buyer most often weighs against each other.
| Celox Gauze 10 ft | Celox Rapid | ChitoGauze | Combat Gauze | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active agent | Chitosan granules on non-woven gauze | Chito-R™ chitosan granules | Chitosan coating | Kaolin (mineral) |
| Strip | 3 in. × 10 ft Z-fold | 3 in. × 5 ft Z-fold | 3 in. × 144 in. (12 ft) | 3 in. × 4 yd (12 ft) |
| Pressure hold | 3 min labeled; TCCC at least 3 min | 60 s labeled; TCCC at least 3 min | TCCC at least 3 min | TCCC at least 3 min |
| evidence-based standard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes — hemostatic dressing of choice |
| Shellfish-derived | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Strip sizes and agents for ChitoGauze and Combat Gauze come from the evidence-based device list.2 Celox labeled times come from Medtrade's instructions; the TCCC Guidelines set at least 3 minutes of direct pressure for any hemostatic dressing.1 Whatever the label, keep pressure on until the bleeding has stopped.
Build the system
The rest of the chitosan family, the alternatives, the bandage that holds the packing in, and trainers to practice on.
Questions buyers ask
Package & specifications
Available Options:
- 10 Ft.
Specifications coming soon. Contact us for detailed product information.
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Return Facility: MED-TAC International Corp., 15757 Pines Blvd, Suite 154, Pembroke Pines, FL 33027.
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