Celox-A High Speed Applicator

Key Specifications

Product Overview

The Celox-A solves a critical gap in pre-hospital trauma care: penetrating wounds with small entry diameters — typically from gunshots, blade injuries, and blast fragments — that are difficult or dangerous to pack with traditional gauze. Standard hemostatic gauze packing requires accessing the wound cavity with fingers, which is impossible in narrow-channel penetrating wounds. The Celox-A applicator is a pre-filled, syringe-style device that delivers 6 grams of Celox chitosan granules through a narrow tube inserted directly into the wound, reaching the bleeding source without wound enlargement or digital exploration.

Celox chitosan works via a mechanism independent of the body's clotting cascade — a critical advantage over kaolin-based products (QuikClot Combat Gauze) in patients with hypothermia-induced coagulopathy, anticoagulant therapy, or trauma-related consumptive coagulopathy. When Celox chitosan contacts blood, it undergoes electrostatic interaction with red blood cell membranes (muco-adhesion), causing them to aggregate and form a robust gel-plug directly at the bleeding site. This mechanism functions even in the presence of heparin, warfarin, and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), and continues to work at reduced core temperatures where the coagulation enzyme cascade slows significantly. Celox-A has been tested on the battlefield and validated in clinical settings for efficacy in moderate-to-severe bleeding from penetrating trauma.

The applicator design is instinctive: remove the end cap, insert the tube into the wound to reach the bleeding source, depress the plunger to deliver granules, then withdraw the tube while maintaining the granules in position. Follow with firm manual pressure (a minimum of 5 minutes for severe arterial wounds) through gauze placed over the wound surface. The filled wound should then be covered with additional gauze and a pressure bandage. Unlike gauze packing, the granule format naturally conforms to irregular wound geometries. The 4-year shelf life (compared to 5 years for Celox gauze products) and ambient-temperature storage make Celox-A suitable for IFAKs, pocket kits, and tactical medical bags. Note: Blue cap contains phthalates — handle accordingly per institutional guidelines.

How to Use

1. Open the packaging and remove the Celox-A applicator.
2. Remove the end cap from the top of the applicator tube.
3. Insert the applicator nozzle into the wound, guiding it gently to reach the bleeding source.
4. Depress the plunger to deliver the Celox granules directly to the bleeding point.
5. Withdraw the applicator tube while maintaining granule placement in the wound.
6. Cover the wound with gauze, filling above skin level, and apply firm direct pressure for at least 5 minutes.
7. If bleeding persists, apply additional direct pressure for another 5 minutes.
8. Secure with a pressure bandage and monitor for re-bleeding during transport.
9. Irrigate with saline at definitive care to remove granules; do not leave in wound beyond 24 hours.

Celox-A vs. Gauze-Based Hemostatics

Where CoTCCC-recommended QuikClot Combat Gauze and Celox Rapid Gauze excel for accessible wounds requiring tight packing, the Celox-A applicator fills a unique niche: narrow-channel, deep penetrating wounds. It is not a replacement for hemostatic gauze — it is a complementary tool for the specific scenario where gauze insertion is not feasible. For any wound accessible to manual packing, Celox Rapid or QuikClot Combat Gauze remain the preferred primary hemostatic options per CoTCCC guidelines.

Build out your hemorrhage control kit with both gauze and the Celox-A applicator to cover all wound geometries. See the full hemostatic agents collection or complete your kit with an IFAK at MED-TAC International.

All products sourced from the actual brand manufacturer or authorized master distributors. CoTCCC recommendation status verified where applicable. Ships from MED-TAC International, Pembroke Pines, FL — clinician-founded, veteran-led, SDVOSB-certified.