GELFOAM POWDER Safety Information
Important Safety Information
GELFOAM is not intended as a substitute for meticulous surgical technique.
Only the minimum amount of GELFOAM necessary to achieve hemostasis should be used.
Once hemostasis is attained, excess GELFOAM should be carefully removed.
GELFOAM should not be used in closure of skin incisions because it may interfere
with the healing of skin edges.
GELFOAM should not be placed in intravascular compartments, because of the risk
of embolization.
While packing a cavity for hemostasis is sometimes surgically indicated, GELFOAM
should not be used in this manner unless excess product not needed to maintain hemostasis
is removed.
The use of GELFOAM is not recommended in the presence of infection. There have been
reports of fever associated with the use of GELFOAM, without demonstrable infection.
GELFOAM may serve as a nidus for infection and abscess formation, and has been reported
to potentiate bacterial growth.