Lviv Polytechnic has started working on the development of new supplies for emergency medical services in case of penetrating abdominal trauma as part of the project «Development of hydrogel medical supplies for emergency medical services in case of penetrating abdominal trauma within the creation of a research center for new polymeric materials for medicine» which received grant support from the National Research Foundation of Ukraine as the winner of the call «Research Infrastructures for Advanced Research».
Abdominal injuries are among the most life-threatening. Among severe injuries, the proportion of abdominal traumas is 30%, and the mortality rate remains high and has no tendency to decrease. In peacetime, the most common causes of abdominal injuries are road traffic accidents and falls from a considerable height, and in wartime – bullet, shrapnel and mine-blast wounds. According to the anatomical characteristics, 73.2% of injuries are impermeable, 26.8% are penetrating, including 5.6% of thoracoabdominal injuries.
The most commonly injured organs are the spleen, liver, bladder, mesenteric root and retroperitoneum, small intestine, pancreas, kidneys, blood vessels, diaphragm, colon, stomach and duodenum. Abdominal trauma causes severe physical and mental suffering to victims, posing a life threat. The mortality rate reaches 10–30%. Continuous improvement of methods for diagnosing traumatic injuries to the abdominal cavity and timely comprehensive treatment of abdominal injuries and related complications play an important role in successfully addressing this problem.
Lviv Polytechnic researchers led by Volodymyr Samaryk, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, the Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, are developing a hydrogel composition for emergency care in case of penetrating abdominal wounds which can form a stable foam and structure into a polymeric sponge material in the abdominal cavity. It will help to fix abdominal organs (including damaged ones) and ensure prolonged release of pre-administered drugs. The hydrogel composition proposed by the developers is made from polymers of natural origin. This will be its advantage, as it will ensure biocompatibility and biodegradability of the emergency treatment for penetrating abdominal traumas.
«As part of the first stage of the project, we consulted with experts from various fields, including abdominal surgery, laparoscopic surgery, traumatic reconstructive surgery, traumatology and orthopedics, pharmacology and pharmacy, microbiology, chemistry, etc. This allowed us to make certain adjustments to the initial experimental studies. For example, we are talking about the expediency of introducing a number of hemostatic drugs to stop bleeding from damaged internal organs and antiseptics to prevent the development of infection and subsequent sepsis», said Professor Volodymyr Samaryk, head of the project «Development of hydrogel medical supplies for emergency medical services in case of penetrating abdominal trauma within the creation of a research center for new polymeric materials for medicine» which is being implemented at Lviv Polytechnic with the support of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine.
There is a demand for such a tool in emergency general surgery, military surgery, military field surgery, emergency medical care and disaster medicine. The lack of effective diagnostic and treatment methods due to the lack of adaptation to work in deployed locations or emergency situations can significantly limit the ability to provide care. Therefore, the emergence of such developments, their testing, preclinical and clinical trials is in demand and is aimed at improving the level of emergency care for abdominal traumas and reducing mortality among victims.
