Absorbable gelatin sponge

An absorbable gelatin sponge is a sterile hemostatic agent composed of purified porcine-derived gelatin. In regional chemotherapy, absorbable gelatin sponge may be used to embolize arteries in the region of a tumor in order to block or retard blood flow; this blockage results in a locally increased concentration of chemotherapeutic agents delivered to the tumor when chemotherapeutic agents are infused into the embolized arterial circulation upstream of the blockage.^[1] It is sometimes soaked with buprenorphine.^[2]

References

1. "Definition of absorbable gelatin sponge - National Cancer Institute Drug Dictionary".
2. Mishra LD, Nath SS, Gairola RL, Verma RK, Mohanty S (April 2004). "Buprenorphine-soaked absorbable gelatin sponge: an alternative method for postlaminectomy pain relief". J Neurosurg Anesthesiol. 16 (2): 115–21. doi:10.1097/00008506-200404000-00002. PMID 15021279. S2CID 23309356.

Further reading

• Shenoi PM (February 1973). "Ototoxicity of absorbable gelatin sponge". Proc. R. Soc. Med. 66 (2): 193–6. PMC 1644504. PMID 4541382.