Chitosan/kaolin composite porous microspheres with high hemostatic efficacy.

The hemostatic performance of chitosan was greatly improved by blending it with kaolin to fabricate porous composite microspheres (CSMS-K) through inverse emulsion method combining with thermally induced phase separation. The CSMS-K had high amount of interior and surface pores. The synergetic hemostatic competence of chitosan and kaolin components made the hemostatic efficacy of CSMS-K superior to chitosan porous microspheres (CSMS). The hemostatic time of CSMS-K3 in the rat tail amputation and liver laceration models was down to respective 120 and 99s from 183 and 134s of CSMS, and the blood loss of CSMS-K3 was respectively 65% and 36% of that of CSMS in the rat tail amputation and liver laceration models. The whole blood clotting kinetics proved that CSMS-K3 formed larger blood clots than CSMS and Celox within a same time period. Our results suggested that the CSMS-K is a potential quick pro-coagulant agent for traumatic hemorrhaging control.