Anyone know how long this stuff might remain effective after the expiration date . I'm looking to pick some up and I'm finding all different exp. dates for sale on the " bay " . Would appreciate any recommendations on places to purchase .![[grin]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/041.gif "Grin [grin]")
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Effectiveness of Quik Clot Gauze after expiration date ?
- Thread starter hankster
- Start date
The active ingredient is a kind of mineral, which they call zeolite. Several similar minerals are all called zeolite, there is no one kind. Being a mineral, if you keep the stuff clean and dry, it should last for years. This dating of medication and medical supplies is mostly a crock of dung. Medication remains as good as the day it was made years after it "expires" as long as you keep it dry and away from heat.
I'll bet most of you don't remember when they didn't label medication with expiration dates, but thats how it was once. It's all about the drug companies making more money. They want you to throw out perfectly good meds and buy "fresh" stuff. They have taught our society to do this routinely.
I now see expiration dates on gallon jugs of water at the grocery store. Water expires? Since when?
I'll bet most of you don't remember when they didn't label medication with expiration dates, but thats how it was once. It's all about the drug companies making more money. They want you to throw out perfectly good meds and buy "fresh" stuff. They have taught our society to do this routinely.
I now see expiration dates on gallon jugs of water at the grocery store. Water expires? Since when?
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Hearsay from the internet says that QuickClot is good for ~10 years after the expiration date. The thing that really expires, supposedly, is the packaging. It can't be guaranteed to be sterile after that date. In SHTF, an infection would really be bad news, so that's something to consider. On the other hand, if you actually need to use it at some point, somebody's life is at stake and you can worry about infection later... From my research, the expired stuff is probably just fine though not ideal of course.
Also make sure you get the newer stuff that comes in a little green pouch that looks like this:
There was another, older, version that worked through heat and cauterization and actually caused pretty serious burns, or so I hear.
Depends on the medication - most of it is still good long after expiration date, but some starts losing potency right away. One relevant example of something that does actually lose potency quickly is water purification tablets / chlorine / bleach. Iodine is probably good forever, though?
Also make sure you get the newer stuff that comes in a little green pouch that looks like this:
There was another, older, version that worked through heat and cauterization and actually caused pretty serious burns, or so I hear.
Depends on the medication - most of it is still good long after expiration date, but some starts losing potency right away. One relevant example of something that does actually lose potency quickly is water purification tablets / chlorine / bleach. Iodine is probably good forever, though?
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I think that might be more due to the plastic. Plastic is not inert and its composition changes over time.
I work in the OR and deal with expired meds and products all the time.
Tons of it is thrown away every day/month because of expired dates. The stuff is still good. Sterility doesn't expire. If anything like stated the container may break down but that's not likely if kept under proper conditions.
I take all the expired sutures, sponges, or anything I think may be worth putting in my bag. No meds like marcaine or lidocaine for local anesthesia, the pharmacy takes that unfortunately.
Tons of it is thrown away every day/month because of expired dates. The stuff is still good. Sterility doesn't expire. If anything like stated the container may break down but that's not likely if kept under proper conditions.
I take all the expired sutures, sponges, or anything I think may be worth putting in my bag. No meds like marcaine or lidocaine for local anesthesia, the pharmacy takes that unfortunately.
inerlogic
NES Member
i took some excedrin that had expired.... not only ended up keeping the wicked headache, but was sick to my stomach....
the next day i noticed the date and the formaldehyde-like smell....
so yeh, i tossed that bottle.....
i have an army first aid kit and everything in it expired in the 80s......
i should look into replacing that....
anyone still an active medic?
the next day i noticed the date and the formaldehyde-like smell....
so yeh, i tossed that bottle.....
i have an army first aid kit and everything in it expired in the 80s......
i should look into replacing that....
anyone still an active medic?
Some meds aren't heavily affected over time, others are. There's no general rule, and theories about pharmaceutical conspiracies are absurd - expiration dates are mandated by government legislation.
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Sort of. Most things don't go bad the day after it expires, however, product will lose it efficacy over time.
Heat, moisture, and light (one reason why old scripts were in brown bottles) will all degrade the product.
But I personally believe that the shelf life is many times past the expiration date if you follow the above.
Your stuff from the 80s, probably toss. I have stuff from about 8 years ago I should get rid of....
This is correct
They test for a certain period of time and validate the the product after that time.
They can only use longer life if they validate and test for longer time periods
Most use a 1 or even 2 year expiration in their labeling because thats their test period
I don't know about quik clot per se but the problem with buying this sort of thing off ebay is you just don't know how it's been handled/stored. If it's been in a climate controlled storage room for the past few years, it's probably okay but if it's been shipped to the middle east, carried around, exposed to heat, rain, sun, snow, used as a coaster, etc. and then rotated back to the world to end up on flea bay with all the other discarded mil surplus, then you probably want to pass on that.
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