blood loss

Scientists first to link gene to blood loss after surgery

Bleeding after cardiac surgery is a major clinical problem, consuming up to 20 percent of the nation’s blood supply. Despite some understanding of the risk factors that contribute to increased blood loss, there is still considerable patient-to-patient variability. Scientists have now shown that a common genetic variation contributes to a patient’s tendency to suffer bleeding complications.

Researchers develop 'natural bandages' that mimic body's healing process

With the same compound the body uses to clot blood, scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University have created a nano-fiber mat that could eventually become a “natural bandage.” Spun from strands of fibrinogen 1,000 times thinner than a human hair, the fabric could be placed on a wound and never taken off — minimizing blood loss and encouraging the natural healing process.