MaxiStat

MaxiStat is a topical hemostatic agent composed of chitosan, a naturally occurring polysaccharide derived from the shells of crustaceans. It is designed to control moderate to severe bleeding by promoting rapid clot formation through an electrostatic interaction between the positively charged chitosan and negatively charged red blood cells. Developed by HemCon Medical Technologies (now part of Tricol Biomedical), MaxiStat is primarily used in emergency medicine, trauma care, and surgical settings to manage arterial and venous hemorrhages where conventional pressure is insufficient. Unlike some other hemostatic agents, chitosan-based products like MaxiStat work independently of the body's natural clotting cascade, making them effective even in patients who are anticoagulated.

Brand names

MaxiStatHemCon MaxiStat

Other names

Chitosan hemostatic dressingChitosan acetate