DIRECTIONS FOR USE1
GEL-FLOW NT must be saturated with sterile saline or thrombin* solution before use as an adjunct to hemostasis. Prior to GEL-FLOW NT application, the target bleeding site should be visualized if feasible.
GEL-FLOW NT is provided as 550 mg GELFOAM® Sterile Powder (absorbable gelatin powder) pre-packaged in a 10 mL syringe for hydration.
Use only the minimum amount of GEL-FLOW NT mixture necessary to produce hemostasis.
Always use sterile technique when handling GEL-FLOW NT.
Before Use:
Inspect the GEL-FLOW NT package for signs of damage. DO NOT use if the package is damaged. Open the package and remove the GEL-FLOW NT syringe.
Preparing GEL-FLOW NT:
GEL-FLOW NT may be prepared to desired consistency (by adjusting the volume of saline or thrombin solution used for hydration) up to 3 hours prior to application using standard sterile technique. Following the instructions below will yield an average of 7 mL of uniform mixture within the syringe, with a measured minimum delivery volume of 6 mL.
Draw up 5 mL of sterile saline or thrombin† solution into an empty 10 mL sterile syringe with luer lock (diluent and syringe not included).
Step 2
Connect the GEL-FLOW NT syringe to the sterile saline or thrombin solution syringe via the pre-attached connecting luer.
To begin mixing, swiftly push at once the entire volume of the sterile saline or thrombin solution into the GEL-FLOW NT syringe.
Step 4
Wait 10-15 seconds to allow the gelatin powder to become saturated with the sterile saline or thrombin solution.
Push the saturated gelatin powder back into the sterile saline or thrombin solution syringe.
Step 6
Continue exchanging the solution between syringes until all components are thoroughly mixed (approximately 10 complete two-way exchanges) and the consistency is even. If at any point the mixture does not appear uniform, perform additional exchanges between syringes to ensure contents are adequately mixed and the resulting mixture looks homogenous.
Disconnect the mixing syringe containing the GEL-FLOW NT mixture and remove connecting luer.
Step 8
GEL-FLOW NT may be dispensed directly from the syringe.
If desired, attach an applicator tip.
Smear, fill, or press the mixture against the bleeding surface.
Remove the excess GEL-FLOW NT mixture once hemostasis is achieved.
Notes:
Once hemostasis is achieved, GEL-FLOW NT mixture may be left at the bleeding site when necessary. GEL-FLOW NT mixture may be left in place when applied to mucosal surfaces until it liquefies. Since GEL-FLOW NT causes little more cellular reaction than does the blood clot, the wound may be closed over it. For use with thrombin, consult the thrombin insert for complete prescribing information and proper sample preparation.1
Please see full Prescribing Information, including BOXED WARNING, for THROMBIN-JMI.
Please see Instructions for Use for GEL-FLOW NT.
THROMBIN-JMI
WARNING: SEVERE BLEEDING AND THROMBOSIS COMPLICATIONS
Most common adverse reactions (incidence greater than or equal to 2%) are hypersensitivity, bleeding, anemia, post-operative wound infection, thromboembolic events, hypotension, pyrexia, tachycardia and thrombocytopenia. In another study, the most common treatment-emergent adverse reactions (experienced by >5% patients within a treatment group) were procedural pain, nausea, constipation, pruritus, muscle spasms, insomnia, pyrexia, and vomiting.
Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with THROMBIN-JMI. It is also not known whether THROMBIN-JMI can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. THROMBIN-JMI should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.
It is not known whether this drug is excreted in human milk. The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother’s clinical need for THROMBIN-JMI and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed infant from THROMBIN-JMI or from the underlying maternal condition.
Safety and effectiveness in children have not been established.
GEL-FLOW NT
GEL-FLOW NT should not be used in closure of skin incisions because it may interfere with healing of the skin edges. This is due to mechanical interposition of gelatin and is not secondary to intrinsic interference with wound healing.
GEL-FLOW NT must not be placed in intravascular compartments because of the risk of embolization.
Do not use GEL-FLOW NT in patients with known allergies to porcine collagen.
Life-threatening anaphylactic reactions, including death, have been reported after exposure to absorbable gelatin. Patients with history of allergies to porcine products may be at risk of serious acute hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis. If an anaphylactic reaction is observed, absorbable gelatin administration should be immediately discontinued and any applied product removed.
GEL-FLOW NT is not intended as a substitute for meticulous surgical technique and the proper application of ligatures, or other conventional procedures for hemostasis.
Unused, opened GEL-FLOW NT syringes or packs must be discarded. GEL-FLOW NT must not be resterilized.
Only the minimum amount of GEL-FLOW NT mixture necessary to achieve hemostasis should be used and applied to the bleeding site with pressure until bleeding stops. Once hemostasis is attained, excess GEL-FLOW NT mixture should be carefully removed.
The use of GEL-FLOW NT is not recommended in the presence of infection. GEL-FLOW NT should be used with caution in contaminated areas of the body.
The packing of GEL-FLOW NT, particularly within bony cavities, should be avoided, since swelling may interfere with normal function and/or possibly result in compression necrosis of surrounding tissues.
Whenever possible, GEL-FLOW NT should be removed after use in laminectomy procedures and from foramina in bone, once hemostasis is achieved. This is because GEL-FLOW NT may swell on absorbing fluids and produce nerve damage by pressure within confined bony spaces.
GELFOAM should not be placed in the vicinity of the cerebral ventricular space or where there is a possibility of a cerebrospinal fluid fistula to the target bleeding site. GELFOAM should also not be used as a tissue substitute to repair tissue defects of the dura or the cranium. GELFOAM may migrate from central nervous system cerebrospinal fluid surgical sites into the cerebral ventricular space and compromise the cerebrospinal fluid circulation. Hydrocephalus and cerebrospinal fluid retention, requiring a re-intervention to remove GELFOAM residue, have been reported in adult and pediatric patients. In some cases, these complications occurred several months after use of GELFOAM.
GEL-FLOW NT should not be used for controlling postpartum bleeding or menorrhagia.
GEL-FLOW NT should not be used in conjunction with autologous blood salvage circuits or methyl-methacrylate adhesives.
After placement, absorbable hemostatic agents may be visible on imaging studies until they are fully absorbed, which could be interpreted as pseudotumor/pseudomass appearance. Pseudoinfection/pseudoabscess has also been reported in the literature. Pseudotumor/pseudomass and pseudoinfection/pseudoabscess may result in additional invasive procedures, reoperations, and prolonged hospital stays.
There have been reports of the following events associated with the use of GELFOAM absorbable gelatin powder: fever (without demonstrated infection), infection, abscess formation, giant cell granuloma, CNS compression, foreign body reaction, encapsulation of fluid, hematoma, excessive fibrosis, prolonged fixation of a tendon, toxic shock syndrome, and hearing loss (in tympanoplasty surgeries).
In laminectomy operations, multiple neurologic events were reported, including but not limited to cauda equina syndrome, spinal stenosis, meningitis, arachnoiditis, headaches, paresthesias, pain, bladder and bowel dysfunction, and impotence.
Please see full Prescribing Information, including BOXED WARNING, for THROMBIN-JMI.
Please see Instructions for Use for GEL-FLOW NT.