One package, one opening: the hemostatic you pack and the bandage that locks it in come out together, for the responder working alone with one free hand.
At a glance
12 things to know about the OLAES Hemostatic Bandage
What is inside, where it sits in TCCC, how to pack it, and what the studies of its chitosan gauze found.
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01
Pack and wrap from one package
TacMed combined the OLAES Modular Bandage with HemCon ChitoGauze PRO in a single package, with the hemostatic stored inside the bandage's wound pad for rapid access at the point of injury.3 One tear, and both the packing and the pressure bandage are in your hands.
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02
It carries a evidence-based standard gauze
The TCCC Guidelines name ChitoGauze an alternative hemostatic adjunct; Combat Gauze is the evidence-based hemostatic dressing of choice.1 The Evidence-Based Standard Devices & Adjuncts list carries ChitoGauze as a 3 in. × 144 in. chitosan-coated dressing2 — the same 3 in. × 12 ft size as the strip inside the OLAES.4,5 ChitoGauze joined the TCCC Guidelines in Change 13-05, after a review found chitosan gauze at least as effective as Combat Gauze in animal studies.19 The bandage bundle itself is not on the list.
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03
How chitosan stops bleeding
Chitosan carries a positive charge and red blood cells a negative one. The gauze draws red cells to it and forms a tight, adherent seal over the injury — a process the gauze maker states runs separately from the body's own clotting cascade.8
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04
Chitosan comes from shellfish — the allergen does not have to
Chitosan is derived from shrimp shells.12 Tricol Biomedical, which makes ChitoGauze, states its process eliminates residual shrimp protein — the usual allergen — and reports no known or suspected allergic reactions to HemCon products since 2002.8 In a challenge study, ten volunteers with confirmed shellfish allergy tolerated a HemCon chitosan bandage without reaction.12
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05
Three minutes of pressure
TacMed's published technique: pack the wound, then hold direct, consistent pressure for 3 minutes.6 The TCCC Guidelines set at least 3 minutes for any hemostatic dressing.1 If bleeding continues, remove all of the gauze and repack with fresh gauze.1,6
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06
Two X-ray threads
The gauze carries two X-ray-detectable threads4 so the surgical team can find every inch on imaging. Tell them a chitosan hemostatic is in the wound.
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07
The OLAES bandage on top
After packing, the pressure cup goes centered over the wound and the bandage is locked with the securing clip.6 Built-in control strips keep the elastic from unrolling by accident.4 The cup is the transparent OLAES pressure cup, which focuses pressure on the wound site.10
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08
Real patients: ChitoGauze in Dutch EMS
Two Dutch ambulance services carried HemCon ChitoGauze from 2012 to 2014 and used it when gauze and pressure failed or were unlikely to work. Bleeding stopped in 46 of 66 patients and slowed in 13; it failed in 7, with user error a factor in 3. Twenty-one patients were on anticoagulants or had a clotting disorder, and no side effects were reported.11
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09
Parity with Combat Gauze in animal studies
In a swine femoral-artery model with a 3-minute hold, HemCon ChitoGauze reached 70% survival and 60% immediate hemostasis against 60% and 30% for Combat Gauze — differences that were not statistically significant.13 A second swine study found no significant differences between the two,14 and after a 15-minute briefing, Navy corpsmen got similar results with either on groin wounds.15
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10
A field dressing, not a long-term one
A 24-hour swine study tested ChitoGauze PRO by name: embolic material appeared in the lung vessels with ChitoGauze PRO and Celox Gauze and in the pulmonary artery in every group, Combat Gauze included. The authors judged all three unsuitable for long-term use.16 Record the dressing and hand it off declared.
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11
Standard or flat-packed
85-0020 is the 4 in. standard package; 85-0024 is the same 4 in. bandage flat-packed, which TacMed says fits most standard individual first aid kits.3,7
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12
Latex-free, made in the USA, 5.5-year shelf life
Latex-free and made in the USA,3,4 with a 5.5-year shelf life at the time of production.4 FDA lists the bundle as a Class I compression dressing, exempt from 510(k).7 It was a JEMS Hot Product at EMS Today 2021.9
How to pack and wrap the OLAES Hemostatic
TacMed's published technique, in the order taught in TCCC, TECC and public bleeding-control courses.
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1Tourniquet first on a limb. Life-threatening limb bleeding that a tourniquet can control gets a tourniquet first.1 Pack the wounds a tourniquet cannot reach.
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2Find the source. Put your fingers into the wound, locate the source of the bleeding and apply direct pressure.6
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3Make a power ball. Open the package, take the ChitoGauze PRO from the wound pad, and form the end of the gauze into a firm ball of hemostatic to press onto the source.3,6
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4Fill every corner. With constant pressure, pack the gauze until every part of the wound is completely filled.6
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5Hold firm pressure. Direct, consistent pressure for at least 3 minutes1,6 — and until the bleeding has stopped. If it keeps bleeding, remove all of the gauze and repack with fresh gauze.1,6
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6Wrap it. Apply the bandage with the pressure cup centered over the packed wound.6
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7Lock it and check it. Secure the bandage with the securing clip and make sure it sits in the right spot.6
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8Record and hand off. Note the hemostatic on the TCCC Casualty Card (DD 1380), tuck the wrapper into the dressing6 and tell the receiving team a chitosan hemostatic is in the wound.
Where it fits
- Junctional wounds — groin and armpit — where a limb tourniquet cannot be applied
- 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
- Kits where space and seconds are tight — one package instead of a gauze and a bandage3
- The chest or abdomen — never pack into the chest or abdominal cavity
- Life-threatening limb bleeding a tourniquet can control — tourniquet first1
- Moderate bleeding that pressure alone controls — the plain OLAES Modular Bandage does that job10
- Practice — train with inert trainers, not live dressings
The evidence
Every study below tested the chitosan gauze inside the bandage, not the bundle — each row names the product used.
| Study | Evidence type | What was studied | What it found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Te Grotenhuis et al., Injury 2016 | Human · prospective series | HemCon ChitoGauze in 66 patients, two Dutch EMS services, 2012–2014 | Bleeding stopped in 46, reduced in 13, failed in 7 (user error in 3); no side effects reported |
| Waibel et al., Mil Med 2011 | Human · safety challenge | HemCon chitosan bandage challenge in 10 volunteers with confirmed shellfish allergy | All tolerated the bandage without reaction; no protein detected in the chitosan powder |
| Rall et al., J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2013 | Animal · comparative | HemCon ChitoGauze vs Combat Gauze and three other dressings, swine femoral artery puncture, 3-minute hold | Survival 70% vs 60%, immediate hemostasis 60% vs 30%; not statistically significant |
| Schwartz et al., Prehosp Emerg Care 2011 | Animal · comparative | ChitoGauze vs Combat Gauze, 6 mm femoral artery punch, 14 swine, 2-minute hold | No statistically significant differences; trends favored ChitoGauze; no retained material on histology |
| Conley et al., Mil Med 2015 | Animal · comparative | HemCon ChitoGauze, Combat Gauze and Celox Trauma Gauze applied by 24 Navy corpsmen after a 15-minute presentation | Similar hemostasis, blood loss and re-bleeding; 23 of 24 animals survived |
| Otrocka-Domagała et al., Pol J Vet Sci 2016 | Animal · safety | ChitoGauze PRO, Combat Gauze and Celox Gauze left 24 hours in femoral artery wounds, 9 swine | Embolic material in lung vessels with ChitoGauze PRO and Celox Gauze; all three judged unsuitable for long-term use |
| Bennett et al., J Spec Oper Med 2014 | Expert review · guideline change | Review of chitosan gauze dressings for TCCC Guidelines Change 13-05 | Chitosan gauze at least as effective as Combat Gauze in animal studies; ChitoGauze and Celox Gauze added to TCCC |
Strongest to weakest: human studies, then animal studies, then expert review. The Dutch series is real patients without a comparison group; the swine results depend on the injury model and the hold time.
How it compares
The OLAES Hemostatic against the plain OLAES and the two packing gauzes a buyer would otherwise pair with a bandage.
| OLAES Hemostatic | OLAES Modular 4 in. | ChitoGauze XR PRO | Combat Gauze | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In the package | OLAES 4 in. bandage + ChitoGauze® PRO | OLAES 4 in. bandage + 3 m plain gauze | Hemostatic gauze only | Hemostatic gauze only |
| Hemostatic agent | Chitosan | None | Chitosan | Kaolin (mineral) |
| Packing gauze | 3 in. × 12 ft | 3 m | 3 in. × 4 yd (12 ft) | 3 in. × 4 yd (12 ft) |
| Pressure bandage included | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| evidence-based standard | Carries ChitoGauze PRO, a evidence-based standard gauze | No | Yes | Yes — hemostatic dressing of choice |
| Shellfish-derived | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| FDA | Class I, 510(k)-exempt | Class I, 510(k)-exempt | 510(k) K102546 | 510(k) K072474 |
OLAES data from TacMed product information and FDA device records;3,7,10 ChitoGauze XR PRO and Combat Gauze from their FDA clearances and device records.17,18 The TCCC Guidelines set at least 3 minutes of direct pressure for any hemostatic dressing.1
Build the system
The plain OLAES, the stand-alone packing gauzes, the tourniquet that comes first, a chest seal, and trainers.
Questions buyers ask
Package & specifications
Available Options:
- 4"
- 4" Flat Packed
Specifications coming soon. Contact us for detailed product information.
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30-Day Returns & Medical Safety
Returns: Unused, unopened equipment in original manufacturer packaging is eligible for return within 30 days of delivery.
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Return Facility: MED-TAC International Corp., 15757 Pines Blvd, Suite 154, Pembroke Pines, FL 33027.
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