IT’S TRAUMA TUESDAY is

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Article of the Week

Advanced Oxygen Therapeutics, How Cool is That?

How close are we to developing a blood substitute? Global demand for blood keeps increasing, yet annual collections still fall short of meeting clinical needs worldwide. Despite advances in screening and testing, concerns about infectious pathogens, transfusion reactions, and lowered hemoglobin levels remain. 

Oxygen therapeutics are emerging as a promising option for treating cellular hypoxia and ischemic tissues, especially in conditions such as acute hemorrhagic shock and organ preservation. This recent scientific review highlights the distinct mechanisms of hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) and fluorocarbon-based oxygen carriers (FBOCs), emphasizing their chemical and physical differences. It is quite a technical read, but even a brief review offers fascinating insights into this emerging clinical advancement.
 

Wang Q, Yang J, Sun M, et al. Advanced oxygen therapeutics for treatments of acute hemorrhagic shock and organ preservation. Smart Materials in Medicine. 2025/04/18/ 2025.

Trauma Happenings

Have you heard of SWIK? It's pretty slick!

SWIK is an innovative, continuous tool for oral secretion management, designed for those really juicy patients. It's a single-use, hands-free, disposable suction device that fits comfortably in a patient's mouth, delivering up to 12 hours of continuous saliva and secretion management. No more dripping down C-collars and contaminating central line dressings.

The New UK TCAR & PCAR Manual Editions are Now Available!

Last week, we announced the release of the updated US manuals. Now, the UK versions are also available. If you are enrolled in a UK version of the TCAR or PCAR course, you can download a PDF of the newly revised manual.

This option is available to anyone within their 1-year subscription period, including those currently taking the course and those who have already verified. The latest edition includes many updates and new resources. Log in to your MY COURSES page and click the MANUAL button to download. 

You can reveal a letter or the entire word if you get stuck

The Love Gloves

In 1889, surgical nurse Caroline Halsted became the first person to wear rubber gloves in the operating room. As a scrub nurse, her skin was severely irritated by the strong disinfectants of the time, resulting in painful dermatitis. 

To protect his favorite scrub nurse's hands, a surgeon asked the Goodyear Rubber Company to create a pair of thin rubber gloves for use during surgery—an innovation that would transform medical practice forever. Other nurses, scrub techs, and eventually surgeons quickly embraced the practice, leading to significant decreases in surgical infection rates. 

In a romantic ending to this story, the pioneering nurse and surgeon later married and enjoyed a long life together. Read more at the link below.

TCAR Education Programs
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