A patch covers; gauze packs. Put the Axiostat on a bleeding surface you can press against, and keep a packing gauze for the wound that has depth.
At a glance
12 things to know about the Axiostat patch
What the patch is for, how Axio says it works, how to apply it, and what the studies actually tested.
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01
It is a patch, not a packing gauze
L88 is a flat 8 × 8 cm square. It goes on top of a bleeding surface and seals it under pressure; Axio states it can be cut or folded to fit the wound.4 A deep wound you can pack needs a packing gauze such as the Axiostat Z-Fold or Combat Gauze.
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02
Chitosan and nothing else
The patch is 100% chitosan extracted from shellfish, with a porous structure that soaks up blood fast. There is no carrier gauze underneath and no powder or granules to shed into the wound.3
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03
How Axio says it works
Axio calls its technology Protonated Bioadhesive Technology: positively charged chitosan adheres to blood components, platelets are activated, and a fibrin plug forms at the bleeding site.7 In laboratory work that included Axio co-authors, a porous chitosan pad activated platelets through Toll-like receptor 2.10 Under firm pressure the patch acts as a mechanical barrier over the bleeding site.4,6
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04
Press until it sticks — then leave it alone
Axio's directions: cover the entire bleeding site, apply uniform pressure until the patch adheres, and do not move it or lift it to look for bleeding.3,4 The TCCC Guidelines set at least 3 minutes of direct pressure for any hemostatic dressing1 — keep pressing until the bleeding has stopped.
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05
Ten minutes in place, out within 24 hours
After the bleeding is controlled, the patch stays in position at least 10 minutes, and it must come off within 24 hours. It is not absorbable and must never be left inside the body.4
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06
It comes off with water
To remove it, irrigate the patch with plenty of water or saline and peel it off gently.3,4 Axio describes it as non-leachable, leaving no powder or granules behind.3
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07
FDA-cleared for moderate to severe bleeding
The Axiostat Patch was cleared under 510(k) K202830 on 15 April 2021 for local management of bleeding wounds, a barrier to bacterial penetration, and rapid control of moderate to severe bleeding — lacerations, abrasions, debridement sites, skin puncture sites, vascular procedure sites and catheter, tube and pin sites. In the submission's 24-hour challenge, no bacteria crossed the patch while every cotton-gauze control grew bacteria.5
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08
One randomized trauma study, in an ambulance
In 104 patients with bleeding scalp wounds randomly allocated during ambulance transport, an Axiostat patch stopped bleeding in 4.68 minutes on average against 18.56 minutes for cotton gauze, with success in 94% versus 74%. That study used the 8 × 5 cm patch, and Axio supplied the dressings.9
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09
Most human data come from catheter access sites
At the femoral artery after endovascular procedures, the patch helped manual compression reach hemostasis in 8.9 minutes on average with technical success in 91.7% of 120 patients;11 at the axillary artery in patients on anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy, the mean was 5.75 minutes.13 Those are vascular access sites in a procedure room, not field trauma.
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10
A radial-access study was stopped early
The R3A study used the Axiostat dressing to close the radial artery after coronary angioplasty. It was halted after 41 patients because the radial artery had thrombosed in 19.5% of them at 24 hours; hemostasis succeeded in 78%.12 The finding concerns radial artery closure after catheterization; Axio's instructions limit vascular use to supervision by a trained healthcare professional.4
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11
Blood thinners and bleeding disorders
Axio states the patch can be used on patients taking blood thinners,8 and studies at the axillary artery and at radial puncture sites included anticoagulated patients.10,13 In 80 dental extractions in patients on antiplatelet drugs, the Axiostat dental dressing stopped bleeding in about 1 minute against 14 with gauze.14 Its instructions also state that safety and effectiveness have not been evaluated in patients with bleeding disorders, coagulopathy or low platelet counts.4 Apply it the same way and watch the wound closely for re-bleeding.
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12
Made from shellfish — and labeled that way
Chitosan comes from shellfish shell, and Axio's labeling says not to use the patch on a patient who is allergic to shellfish.4 For that casualty, use a kaolin dressing such as Combat Gauze. The Axiostat patch is NSN-coded under 6510-72-057-0464 (manufacturer) and is not evidence-based standard.2,8
How to apply the Axiostat patch
The manufacturer's directions, in order, inside the bleeding-control sequence taught in TCCC and TECC.
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1Pick the right tool. Life-threatening limb bleeding a tourniquet can control gets a tourniquet first — high and tight over clothing when the source can't be seen, or on bare skin 2–3 in. above the wound once it is exposed; never across a joint.1 A deep wound you can pack gets packing gauze. The patch is for a surface you can cover and press.
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2Expose the wound. Find where the blood is coming from and clear pooled blood so the patch lands on the bleeding site, not on a clot.
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3Size it. Tear the pouch open. Cut or fold the patch if the wound is smaller than 8 × 8 cm.4
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4Cover and press. Place the patch so it covers the entire bleeding site and press with firm, even pressure until it sticks — at least 3 minutes under TCCC, and in every case until the bleeding has stopped.1,4
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5Do not lift it. Do not move the patch or peel it back to look. If bleeding continues or the patch is soaked through, add a fresh patch.3,4 A deep wound that keeps bleeding needs packing.
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6Secure it. Wrap a secondary dressing or pressure bandage over the patch to keep it dry and in place.3,4
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7Leave it on. Keep it in position at least 10 minutes after bleeding is controlled. It must come off within 24 hours.4
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8Hand it off. Tell the receiving team a chitosan patch is on the wound and that it comes off with a water or saline rinse.3,4 Give them the pouch.
Where it fits
- Lacerations, cuts and abrasions that keep bleeding under ordinary pressure
- Scalp, head and face wounds the patch can cover3,9
- Surface puncture and stab wounds where the bleeding site can be covered and pressed3
- Catheter, tube and pin sites and vascular access sites, applied by a trained professional4,5
- Deep wounds that need packing — use a Z-fold packing gauze
- Life-threatening limb bleeding a tourniquet can control — tourniquet first1
- Inside the chest, abdomen or any body cavity — it is non-absorbable and must not be implanted4
- A casualty allergic to shellfish — choose a kaolin dressing4
The evidence
Every study cited above, what it tested, and how strong the evidence is.
| Study | Evidence type | What was studied | What it found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kabeer et al., Cureus 2019 | Human · randomized, prehospital | Axiostat 8 × 5 cm patch vs cotton gauze, 104 bleeding scalp wounds during ambulance transport | Time to hemostasis 4.68 vs 18.56 min (p < 0.0001); success 94% vs 74%; manufacturer supplied the dressings |
| Minici et al., J Pers Med 2023 | Human · retrospective, two centers | Axiostat-aided manual compression of the femoral access site, 120 patients, 4–8 Fr sheaths | Technical success 91.7%; mean time to hemostasis 8.9 min; bleeding complications 5.8% |
| Nakache et al. (R3A), Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2024 | Human · prospective, radial access | Axiostat dressing for radial artery hemostasis after coronary angioplasty; stopped early at 41 patients | Radial artery thrombosis in 19.5% at 24 h; hemostasis success 78% |
| Perri et al., Pharmaceuticals 2025 | Human · retrospective | Axiostat at the axillary access site in Leriche syndrome patients on anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy | Mean time to hemostasis 5.75 min |
| Sharma et al., J Contemp Dent Pract 2017 | Human · split-mouth | Axiostat dental dressing vs gauze pressure pack, 80 extractions in 40 patients on antiplatelet drugs | Hemostasis in 1 min 13 s vs 14 min 1 s (p < 0.001) |
| Lee et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2024 | Laboratory · animal · human series | Porous chitosan pad that Axio cites as Axiostat evidence (includes Axio co-authors): mechanism work, murine and swine injuries, human radial puncture | Platelet activation via Toll-like receptor 2; human radial puncture hemostasis in 5.56 min on average |
| FDA 510(k) K202830 summary, 2021 | Animal · regulatory testing | Axiostat Patch in a swine vascular injury model run by an independent laboratory | Hemostasis in under 5 min in all animals; no re-bleeding over 2 hours |
Strongest to weakest: human studies, then animal and laboratory work. The human studies used the 8 × 5 cm trauma patch, vascular-size patches or a dental dressing of the same material — none tested the 8 × 8 cm L88 size specifically — and most come from catheter access sites rather than field trauma.
How it compares
The options a buyer weighs when choosing between covering a wound and packing it.
| Axiostat L88 patch | Axiostat Z-Fold | Combat Gauze | Plain compressed gauze | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active agent | 100% chitosan | 100% chitosan | Kaolin (mineral) | None |
| Format | Flat 8 × 8 cm patch | 3 in. × 118 in. (7.6 × 300 cm) Z-fold | 3 in. × 4 yd (12 ft) Z-fold | 4.5 in. × 4.1 yd roll |
| Job | Covers a bleeding surface | Packs a deep wound | Packs a deep wound | Packs or covers; no agent |
| Labeled pressure | Until the patch sticks; leave in place 10+ min after bleeding stops | At least 3 min, continuous | At least 3 min | Longer than a hemostatic — pressure is the only mechanism |
| evidence-based standard | No | No | Yes — hemostatic dressing of choice | No — not a hemostatic |
| Shellfish-derived | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Labeled pressure comes from each manufacturer's instructions; the TCCC Guidelines set at least 3 minutes of direct pressure for any hemostatic dressing.1 Combat Gauze is the evidence-based hemostatic dressing of choice.
Build the system
The packing gauzes for wounds with depth, the bandages that hold a dressing in place, and the tourniquet that comes first.
Questions buyers ask
Package & specifications
Specifications coming soon. Contact us for detailed product information.
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