Hemostatic effect of a chitosan linear polymer (Celox®) in a severe femoral artery bleeding rat model under hypothermia or warfarin therapy

BACKGROUND In this study, the hemostatic efficacy of Celox (R) in rats under hypothermia or warfarin treatment was investigated. METHODS A total of forty-eight Sprague-Dawley female rats weighing 200-350 g were used in the study. Six experimental study groups were designed, as follows: Group 1: Normothermia + compression; Group 2: normothermia + Celox (R); Group 3: hypothermia + compression; Group 4: hypothermia + Celox (R); Group 5: normothermia + warfarin + compression; and Group 6: normothermia + warfarin + Celox (R). RESULTS Celox (R) provided effective hemorrhage control in all three tested groups. There was a statistically significant difference between compression and Celox (R) implementation in all groups in terms of hemostasis (p-values for the normothermia, hypothermia and warfarin groups were p < 0.05, p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively). Furthermore, the compression numbers were significantly lower in all of the groups that received Celox (R) than in those in which compression alone was applied (p-values for the normothermia, hypothermia and warfarin groups were p < 0.01, p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION Celox (R) provides effective hemorrhage control under conditions of normothermia, hypothermia and use of the oral anticoagulant agent warfarin.