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Thread: Celox Rapid effectiveness past expiration date

  1. #1
    Member That Guy's Avatar
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    Jan 2012
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    Celox Rapid effectiveness past expiration date

    I have a packet of Celox hemostatic gauze in a first aid kit. Today I realized that the package is well past its expiration date. Well, bugger. I almost could have sworn the darn thing had a much later expiration date the last time I checked it... The packaging is in very good condition though. What I found interesting was that some folks in the Internet make claims that this stuff doesn't really expire, that the use by date refers to the guaranteed sterility of the gauze. Not having a clue as to the competency of these people to make such claims, I thought it best to ask people who are likely to actually know if that is true or not. I'd hate to throw an expensive piece of kit into the trash if it still works. It's not like I have a ton of extras just lying around at the prices these things go for over here...

    (And yes, I realize the standard answer is why take the risk, new hemostatic is less expensive than one single trip to Vegas, etc... Like always, things are more expensive here and available income is less, so I do have to consider things like do I throw this expired but intact gauze away or is it still useful in some capacity. Sterility I am not so worried about, as I would think whatever made the wound requiring treatment wasn't sterile in the first place. But if the hemostatic properties of the gauze degrade or worse yet, the gauze itself becomes less usable, then it becomes foolish to keep holding onto what once was a fancy piece of kit and is now junk.)

  2. #2
    Site Supporter ST911's Avatar
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    Dec 2012
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    Midwest, USA
    Quote Originally Posted by That Guy View Post
    I have a packet of Celox hemostatic gauze in a first aid kit. Today I realized that the package is well past its expiration date. Well, bugger. I almost could have sworn the darn thing had a much later expiration date the last time I checked it... The packaging is in very good condition though. What I found interesting was that some folks in the Internet make claims that this stuff doesn't really expire, that the use by date refers to the guaranteed sterility of the gauze. Not having a clue as to the competency of these people to make such claims, I thought it best to ask people who are likely to actually know if that is true or not. I'd hate to throw an expensive piece of kit into the trash if it still works. It's not like I have a ton of extras just lying around at the prices these things go for over here...

    (And yes, I realize the standard answer is why take the risk, new hemostatic is less expensive than one single trip to Vegas, etc... Like always, things are more expensive here and available income is less, so I do have to consider things like do I throw this expired but intact gauze away or is it still useful in some capacity. Sterility I am not so worried about, as I would think whatever made the wound requiring treatment wasn't sterile in the first place. But if the hemostatic properties of the gauze degrade or worse yet, the gauze itself becomes less usable, then it becomes foolish to keep holding onto what once was a fancy piece of kit and is now junk.)
    Best to be unexpired with intact packaging.
    It will work for long time, with some potential decreasing effectiveness with age.
    The worst case scenario is that it become regular gauze, which is always useful.
    Someday, if the packaging fails, enough heat/cold cycles occur, rough handling, embrittled gauze isn't useable.
    Sterility is ideal, but isn't a necessity. Stop the bleed teaches people to use random cloth.
    My expired stuff goes to lower level kits or to training use. Never in the garbage.
    الدهون القاع الفتيات لك جعل العالم هزاز جولة الذهاب

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