Structural Characteristics of Novel Composite Hemostatic Sponges

Introduction : Hemostasis in parenchymal organs remains an issue in abdominal surgery. Effective hemostasis in modern operating rooms is achieved by various local hemostatic agents, which are often composite. Objective : To investigate structural characteristics of novel composite hemostatic sponges. Materials and methods : We compared samples of novel hemostatic sponges (with different weight ratios [15:85, 25:75, and 50:50] of marine collagen to sodium carboxymethylcellulose [Na-CMC]) developed by our team with local hemostatic agents used in clinical practice. There was a total of 7 study groups. All the samples were studied in transmitted light and underwent microphotography with subsequent morphometry. We performed scanning electron microscopy and measured fiber thickness (μm) and pore area (mm 2 ). Results : The largest pore areas were found in the group of samples developed by our team (with the lowest content of marine collagen, 15%), which was higher than in groups with sponges already introduced into clinical practice (1.5 times higher compared with groups 4 and 7 and 2.7 times higher than in group 6). In terms of fiber thickness, the highest values were observed in group 3 (Na-CMC/marine collagen ratio of 50:50). Conclusions : The optimal ratio of collagen/Na-CMC in hemostatic sponges is 50:50, resulting in sufficient porosity and fiber thickness. Owing to these structural characteristics the sample demonstrated its high efficacy in animal studies.