Acute hemorrhage and hemorrhagic shock result in approximately 60,000 annual deaths in the United States. The vast majority of these deaths are in severely injured patients, but experts in trauma care believe many of these deaths can actually be prevented. Efforts focused on injury prevention and pre-emptive intervention have produced some improvements in survival. However, for those who sustain severe injuries, a range of engineering solutions could mitigate the risk of death from hemorrhage.

In this talk, I will review the current epidemiology of acute hemorrhage and our understanding of hemorrhagic shock. I will then explore several recent innovations designed to stop acute hemorrhage and guide teams in real-time management: balloon aortic occlusion and hemorrhage decision support. These innovations will be discussed in the context of the regulatory hurdles that must be navigated to bring these and other similar innovations to the bedside.