In the Blood
Charles Barber
Grand Central Publishing, $29
Charles Barber, in his thrilling new book In the Blood, dives into the challenges that medical professionals face while trying to keep a patient’s blood inside their body. Barber notes that solutions to this problem haven’t changed much in centuries, further emphasizing the need for innovation. He points out that emergency medicine has had a slow rate of progress, which has led to the death of thousands of individuals. Barber details the journey of the invention and implementation of QuikClot, the inexpensive clotting agent that stops bleeding in minutes, and its subsequent many successors.
One would expect such a revolutionary innovation would be celebrated worldwide, but that is not the case as Barber highlights the slow adaptation of the invention. The book starts with the Battle of Mogadishu, Somalia, which sparked the search for better hemorrhage control, resulting in the development of different clotting candidates like HemCon and Factor Seven.
Barber masterfully interweaves the complex storylines of the key players, such as the inventor of the QuikClot, Frank Hursey, and swashbuckling salesman, Bart Gullong, who helped develop and promote the product. The book builds a solid case against the system where financial interests dictate which medical product is implemented, even when the data suggests a product could be dangerous.
Finally, in 2008, an improved version of the QuikClot Combat Gauze received approval for military use, marking “an almost unimaginable victory,” as noted by Barber. In recent years, QuikClot gauze has found its way into hospitals, and people can purchase it on Amazon for just $18.99.
“In the Blood” by Charles Barber is a paradigm-shifting account of the invention and implementation of QuikClot, which not only changed the game of hemorrhage control but also placed bleeding control in the hands of non-doctors, including police officers, soldiers, hikers, and even parents.
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Shambhu Kumar is a science communicator, making complex scientific topics accessible to all. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
