this disclosure is broadly directed to a composition of hemostatic agent ( s ) to which an antimicrobial agent is added . the total composition stops bleeding / exudation and provides a persistent antimicrobial barrier . the hemostatic agent ( s ) stops bleeding from an open wound and absorbs exudates emanating from the wound . during hemostasis , a strong seal is formed between the hemostatic agent ( s ) and the blood that traps the added antimicrobial agent in the seal . after hemostasis , the formation of the seal sets the antimicrobial in close contact with wound and allows the antimicrobial to form a persistent antimicrobial barrier to provide faster healing of the wound . the preferred composition exemplified by the hemostatic agent includes a ferrate compound and a cation exchange resin , and povidone iodine as the added antimicrobial agent . however , the ferrate compound is optional in another embodiment . an sem picture illustrating the trapping of an added silver antimicrobial agent to a hemostatic seal can be seen in fig5 . in the picture , the seal is formed between blood and ferrate / cation exchange resin ( hemostatic mixture ). the sem picture shows the ferrate / resin / ag antimicrobial agent mixture adhered to a thin layer of dried blood . the combination of the powder and the blood is the “ seal ”. the setting of the antimicrobial agent in the seal allows the antimicrobial agent to remain active undiluted , and to exhibit persistency . the seal can be seen above and close to , but separate from , the simulated “ wound bed ”. without the hemostatic mixture , the dried blood may form a scab , which may protect the wound . the hemostatic mixture significantly increases the speed of the scab / seal formation , while adhering the materials of the powder to the surface of the scab . as can be seen in the sem picture ( fig5 ) of the seal formed from blood and ferrate / cation exchange resin , it can easily be demonstrated that , when any antimicrobial agent ( for example , povidone iodine ) is added to hemostatic ferrate / cation exchange resin composition , the agent would be trapped in the seal . this trapping of the added antimicrobial agent allows it to be active in providing a persistent antimicrobial barrier . the addition of povidone iodine at 10 % to the hemostatic ferrate / cation exchange resin composition does not affect the hemostatic efficiency in example 4 . the counter ion on the cation exchange resin can be manipulated to reside either on the surface of the bleeding wound or sink below the surface . when the hydrogen form of the cation exchange resin is used , the hemostatic composition tends to stay on the surface of the bleeding wound , and therefore , the added antimicrobial would also reside on this surface . as the hydrogen form is replaced by sodium or calcium , the cation exchange resin sinks to the bottom of the bleeding wound , as will the added antimicrobial agent . any antimicrobial agent or mixture of antimicrobial agents can be employed in the practice of this disclosure . a wide range of antimicrobials includes : chlorhexidine , triclosan , iodophors , benzoyl peroxide and other anti - acne agents , hypochlorite , mupirocin , retapamulin , dapsone , neomycin and gentamicin , polymyxin and bacitracin . the antimicrobial agent can take the form of a solid , a liquid adsorbed or absorbed on the cation exchange resin . the antimicrobial agent can be pre - adsorbed on a zeolite or any polymeric substrate . when the antimicrobial agent is in the anionic form , it can be adsorbed in the cation exchange resin . various manner of further promoting the longevity of the seal can be used such as spraying a powder after it is applied on the bleeding wound with a closing spray such as a cyanoacrylate spray . the antimicrobial agent can be added to the hemostatic agent composition : either premixed with the hemostatic agent ( s ) or sprayed onto the wound surface after the hemostatic agent ( s ) has been applied to the bleeding wound a powdered form of the antimicrobial can be applied to the wound surface after the hemostatic agent ( s ) is first applied to the bleeding wound . a pamphlet , “ pvp - iodine povidone iodine antiseptic agent ” ( 2004 ), by international specialty products , on page 9 therein , mode of action , shows two charts . the top chart descriptor says : “ in studies of pvp - iodine solution equilibria , the content of uncomplexed iodine initially increases with dilution reaching a maximum at solution strength of 0 . 1 % and decreases upon further dilution ( fig1 ). the other iodine species present in a pvp - iodine solution exhibit normal behavior in that their concentration decreases on dilution .” “ rackur explained this dilution phenomenon by the formation of polymeric aggregates which contain entrapped , uncomplexed iodine . increasing the amount of solvent causes these aggregates to dissociate hence releasing the entrapped iodine and consequently increasing the antimicrobial efficacy of the solution ”. examining fig1 shows a broad plateau of substantially equivalent i 2 from 0 . 01 % i 2 to 1 % i 2 , suggesting that pi is effective across a broad range of concentration but not as effective in the 5 - 10 % range specified by fda in the antiseptic monograph . in fig2 , the pamphlet shows that the i 2 species is the primary active ingredient and that the non - effective kill is at i 2 concentrations of & lt ; 0 . 001 %. at i 2 concentrations of between 0 . 005 % and 1 % pi , there is complete kill . however , concentrations of between 5 - 10 % pi are ineffective , but a slow release of low dose i 2 can be effective if the released amount is between 0 . 005 % and 1 % pi . pvp - iodine is a stable chemical complex of polyvinylpyrrolidone and elemental iodine having the chemical formula : surprisingly , admixtures of pi and ferrate and strong acid cation exchange resins do provide a multitude of benefits . in vitro testing with edta - treated bovine blood and bioseal ( woundseal ) powder with and without pi showed no difference in seal strength when the pi was 5 - 10 % of the powder . the pi is stable in this very dry environment . a mixture of soluble iron , a cation chelation means , and an active antimicrobial compound had a surprising effect on biofilms . without wishing to be bound , ferrate decomposition creates soluble fe 3 + ; the iron displaces the ca ++ in the eps , destabilizing the protective outer shroud . the cation exchange resin captures the ca ++ and lowers ph . the biofilm is dispersed . the absorbed liquids dissolve a fraction of the povidone iodine . the low level of free iodine is lethal to the now - freed , planktonic bacteria . the iron disrupts the biofilm ; the resin indirectly disperses the biofilm ; the free iodine destroys released - bacteria . other sources of soluble iron can do what the ferrate does . other chelators like edta , tripoly phosphate , sodium nitrilotriacetate ( nta ), and stearic acid can sequester calcium . other antiseptics like chg , benzethonium chloride , benzalkonium chloride , & gt ; 62 % alcohol and phmb can kill planktonic bacteria . an experiment was run with diluted bioseal ( now woundseal )/ pi admixture and a buffered phosphate solution and then standard micro testing was conducted on aspergillus niger , a mold which is hard to kill . three powders were tested : a ) 100 % bioseal ( now woundseal ) b ) 95 % bioseal ( now woundseal ) 5 % pi c ) 90 % bioseal ( now woundseal ) 10 % pi these quantities , 0 . 1 , 0 . 5 , 2 . 0 g , of powder were poured into 50 ml of buffer solution . the kill was determined over time . table i shows that even significantly reduced mass of bioseal ( now woundseal ) had almost complete kill of the e - coli . table ii shows that bioseal ( now woundseal ) alone has little effect on the mold . however , the addition of pi killed mold when using 0 . 5 g or 2 . 0 g ., whereas 0 . 1 g of either mixture was insufficient to kill mold . 0 . 1 , 0 . 5 , & amp ; 2 . 0 grams of powder into 50 ml of buffer solution . the above - referenced pamphlet states that 5 % pi is more effective than 10 % pi on bacteria . the table i results confirm this teaching . 0 . 1 , 0 . 5 , & amp ; 2 . 0 grams of powder into 50 ml of buffer solution . the actual concentration of pi in the buffer solution was very much lower than pi in current antimicrobial formulations . for example , the temporary final monograph ( tfm ) states the pi is active @ from 5 to 10 %. in this test , 0 . 5 g powder in 50 ml of buffer solution is 0 . 1 % pi , a 98 % reduction in active ingredient , yet it was still active on aspergillus . there was little kill with 0 . 1 g @ 1 minute , but 3 . 5 log kill at 1 minute with 0 . 5 g powder and 2 g powder . with 0 . 1 g of 10 % pi , the buffered ph was 6 . 4 and there was a 4 . 9 log kill of aspergillus , indicating that the mechanism of action is not merely ph . ( see fig1 ) the observation that the action is not primarily a ph response and that ultra low doses are effective in very short time periods demands explanation . what was found is that the novel combination of potassium ferrate , strong acid cationic ion exchange resin and povidone iodine provides , very fast time to hemostasis , antimicrobial activity , and a low ph environment which helps skin below the clot to be healthy and smooth . other cations can be used as the ferrate counter ion as disclosed in the previously referenced patterson et al . patents . preferred applications are for perforated skin : arteriotomy , vascular access , sutures , staples , traumatic injury , battlefield wounds etc . the powder form provides a scrubbing benefit , particularly useful in skin preparation before surgery . the skin &# 39 ; s moisture activates the iodine ; the powder exfoliates the skin . dead skin is removed and remaining viable skin is sanitized . in other experiments , the decomposition of bioseal ( now woundseal ) powder in water increased the iron concentration in the supernatant . ferrate is soluble , fe 2 o 3 iron oxide is not at neutral ph . iron chemistry and iodine chemistry in water is complex . iron will react with iodine : this reaction implies that soluble fe +++ from the decomposition of fe 6 + can convert inactive iodide into active iodine . this is a possible mechanism for explaining the surprising efficacy of the ferrate / resin / pi mixture . biofilms are ubiquitous in nature and are the means by which bacteria insure their survival . a bacterium will bind to a substrate . once anchored , mixed colonies of bacteria will build a colony of partially vertical structures designed to scavenge scarce nutrients and distribute them throughout the structure . the structure is mechanically protected by exopolysaccharide structures ( eps ) which are stabilized by ca ++ ( and magnesium ) cross - linking . bacteria in biofilms signal to one another until they sense a quorum . when a quorum is sensed , the bacteria spew out toxins to induce the host to produce exudate ( food for the biofilm ). the ferrate / resin / povidone iodine mixture is surprisingly effective at disrupting , dispersing and destroying biofilms in chronic wounds . biofilms are organized colonies of mixed bacteria designed to prevent killing of the bacteria . in a greatly simplified explanation , biofilms are formed : 1 . first reversibly and then permanently bonding sacrificial bacteria to the host 2 . vertical structures of living bacteria grow above the bonded dead bacteria . 3 . the intermediate bacteria are kept alive , but are intentionally deprived ( starved ) of nutrients . by starving , they do not absorb lethal doses of antibiotics and thus can survive an antibiotic attack . 4 . the vertical structure has fluid pathways to bring limited nutrients to the intermediate bacteria and to remove waste products . 5 . the structure is capped by an exopolysaccharide shield ( eps ) that is reinforced by calcium binding to the carboxylic acid moiety in the polysaccharides which protects the biofilm from attack by surface disinfectants and antiseptics . 6 . benign biofilm continues to grow until a quorum is sensed , at which time the pathogens spew forth toxic chemicals . 7 . the host registers the toxins as foreign bodies and mounts an exudate - laden counter attack . 8 . the eps structure deflects the attack and captures proteins - in - exudate as “ biofilm food ”. the net effect is that poisoning the host is a strategy to generate food for growth and survival . without wishing to be bound , it is believed that the ferrate / resin / povidone iodine mixture disrupts , disperses and destroys the biofilm in multiple ways : 1 . as the ferrate dissolves into fe 3 + , the iron displaces the ca ++ in the eps , changing the geometry of the eps shield . 2 . the resin adsorbs ca ++ in exchange for h . the consequent lower ph increases the solubility of fe +++ and ca ++ . 3 . the eps structure is disabled and the “ roof ” of the biofilm is disrupted . 4 . some of the underlying bacteria escape the disintegrating structure and become planktonic . 5 . once planktonic , the bacteria are susceptible to iodine attack . 6 . compared to in vitro testing , this is a very slow iterative process . 7 . by packing a wound with excess powder such that the proximal surface is damp and the distal surface is dry , there is a slow release of iodine . 8 . the response of badly infected in vivo wounds is not rapid ; a little is removed each treatment . the sulfonated ion exchange resin in patterson is not a cation chelating resin . as defined by rohm and haas , a major resin manufacturer : 1 . an ion - exchange resin is an insoluble polymeric matrix containing labile ions capable of exchanging with ions in the surrounding medium . they can be grouped into 4 general categories : strong acid , weak acid , strong base and weak base . there is no complexation or chelation involved in the present invention , but only electrostatic interaction . 2 . chelating resins have special functional groups which contain 2 or more electron donor atoms that can form coordinate bonds to a single metal atom . classes of chelating functional groups of industrial importance are phosphonic acids , amino -, carboxylic acids and sulfur compounds . resins that have metal chelating capabilities include those containing aminophosphonic acid or imininodiacetic acid or thiol sites . therefore , the sulfonated ion exchange resin of patterson is not a chelating resin . there are many types of antimicrobial , antibacterial , bacterialstatic , etc . products on the market , all of which are referred to herein as “ antimicrobial agents ”. these antimicrobial agents may be injected , taken intravenously , inhaled , or are topical , the focus of the present invention being topical in nature . there are many types of topical antimicrobial agents ; creams , powder , ointments , sprays , or in combination with a bandage . these products when applied to a wound need to be covered to present the product from being removed from the wound . not all pathogens react the same way . patient jb presented with multi - drug resistant lateral and medial wounds on the right leg . jb had been hospitalized several times and discharged without complete healing . he presented with gross necrotic tissue and biofilm . the first time his wound was unwrapped , 4 fl . oz . of exudate was recovered . these wounds were the most severe wounds the clinic had seen . three different doctors instructed jb to go to the hospital for amputation . the patient refused and asked for treatment outside the hospital . with informed consent , he agreed to a series of sequential interventions to determine how to heal his wounds . bioseal ( now woundseal ) was packed into jb &# 39 ; s ankle wounds and wrapped traditionally . there was excess exudate , so the frequency of changing the dressing was increased to 3 times per week . bioseal ( now woundseal ) without pi was effective at serially reducing mrsa , but was ineffective on pseudomonas . 7 . 5 % pi was added and pseudomonas levels were reduced , but not eliminated . the pi level was increased to 10 % and the pseudomonas was eliminated . experts describe the resilience of in - vivo biofilms versus in - vitro antimicrobial testing as almost three orders of magnitude greater in a biofilm than as planktonic bacteria . thus , an in - vitro test demonstrates efficacy that does not translate to efficacy in practice . mrsa is easier to kill than pseudomonas in mature biofilms in - vivo . the iodine had to be increased all the way to 10 % before pseudomonas was killed . the powder is packed into the wound such that the proximal side is damp and the distal side is dry . dry pi does not release i 2 to the wound site . thus , as the powder gets increasingly damp , there is a slow release of i 2 . more iodine is not more lethal . in fact , iodine is most lethal at very low levels . what iodine leaching from damp powder does is extend the time that lethal low levels of iodine are exposed to the biofilm . the ferrate dissolves in exudate and releases a free fe 3 + . the iron displaces the calcium reinforcing the eps , disrupting the physical geometry of the eps shield . the released calcium ion is adsorbed into the resin and a proton is released , dropping the ph . at ph 2 , the calcium remaining in the biofilm is partially released . the net effect is to disrupt the biofilm . to visualize the effect , the biofilm is not destroyed , but its “ roof ” is removed , exposing the bacterial inhabitants to attack by iodine . “ de - roofing ” the biofilm continuously exposes more and more intermediate bacteria to attack by iodine . over time , one roof at a time , the biofilm is disrupted , dispersed and destroyed . the swab data show a linear decline as the biofilm is dispersed until a precipitous decline occurs when the remaining biofilm is destroyed . the potassium ferrate was replaced with magnetite , fe 2 o 4 . magnetite is a more soluble form of iron oxide , but the iron is fe 4 + . magnetite , resin and 10 % pi were mixed together and tested in vivo on drug - resistant wounds . mrsa was killed , but pseudomonas was not . fe 3 + regenerates iodine from iodide and converts into fe 2 + as shown above . fe 4 + does not have this reaction . thus , the ferrate is a source of soluble fe 3 + , increasing the net duration of free iodine availability . with extended free iodine availability , pseudomonas is destroyed . what is surprising is that an indirect source of soluble fe 3 + , a divalent cation sequestering agent ( resin , poly phosphate , fatty acid etc ) and a source of free iodine ( i 2 ) and iodide ( i − ) can disrupt , disperse and destroy multi - drug resistant biofilms in vivo . patient wu has a venous ulcer that required debriding of biofilm three times per week , but the wound still did not heal . she was treated with the ferrate / resin / 10 % pi powder . biopsies and detailed analysis of the wound bed demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in biofilm with the powder versus sharp debridement . a sample of the biofilm was extracted from wu and transferred to a 96 count plate and new biofilms grown from wu genetic material . the powder was applied to the in vitro biofilm and complete kill of the biofilm was achieved at various concentrations . wu is a patient at a medical college wound clinic . with informed consent , wu was treated in vivo , but her biofilm was captured and grown into biofilm in a controlled reproducible fashion . the in vitro work is a work in progress as of this filing . the work is intended to elucidate the exact mechanism of action postulated elsewhere in this specification . even at this early date , the work confirms the clinical in vivo findings . a mixture of various iron sources , chelation compounds , and active antimicrobials was tested using the recovered biofilm from wu according to the matrix in table iii . each mixture was tested in a standard hemostasis strength device described in detail in fda 510k filing , k080210 , incorporated herein in its entirety , and in the standardized 96 unit biofilm eradication test device also described in the 510k filing . the results were indexed * to # 12 , the ferrate / resin / 10 % pi powder . the results are presented indexed * to the ferrate / resin / 10 % pi powder tested in vivo . the protocol was not designed to optimize any of the alternate variations , but rather to show that the mixture of a soluble iron source / chelation compound / active antimicrobial compound is a general mixture not a specific mixture . the hemostasis value for alcohol and ferrate , for example , is low because the water in the alcohol decomposed the ferrate . the acidic mixtures perform better in biofilm eradication because the low ph helps dissolve the iron source . patient em , a lymphedema patient with 3 dvt &# 39 ; s in his leg , presented with a 6 . 8 cm × 4 . 5 cm × 0 . 2 cm venous ulcer the shape of the african continent on his shin . after only 8 days treatment with the powder , the wound volume was reduced 11 . 1 % and his exudate production was reduced significantly . em has three deep vein thrombosis clots in his leg and compression therapy is not an option . the wound was producing gross exudate . em was hospitalized and treated with iv antibiotic treatment and cipro , antibiotics designed to kill p . auriginosa . the effect was opposite to the intent and resistant p . auriginosa infected the wound after hospitalization . the powder gradually lowered the pseudomonas during the 8 days of therapy and healing began . em is a work in progress . a 1 , 500 bed hospital modified its central line insertion protocol to apply the ferrate / resin / pi mixture upon insertion . after 6 months , the infection rate was 48 % lower than an appropriate control period . central line insertions are notorious for relatively high infection rates versus picc lines . there are two primary sources of infection , internal and external . in general , the internal infections are caused by ineffective cleaning of the hub through which access to the bloodstream is achieved . biofilms form on the inside of the lumen and grow ( migrate ) down the inside of the line until the tip is reached . the biofilm colony extends past the tip of the line until it breaks off and infects the blood of the host . external infections occur because the annular space between the line and the skin is breached and colonizing bacteria can penetrate the breach . once in that annular space , they grow down the outside of the line to the end where they also break off and contaminate the bloodstream . the mixture forms a nothing - in / nothing - out seal around the line and the skin . this mechanically prevents biofilm migration . in previous embodiments , without the active antimicrobial agent , the seal reduced catheter related blood stream infections ( crbsi ) 40 % of the time in picc line insertions . when the active antimicrobial was added , the rate improved to 48 % and in an inherently more contaminated environment ( central lines versus picc lines ). a major hospital refused to use the ferrate / resin powder prophylactically on sutures and staples after operating room surgery . after the active antimicrobial agent was added , this hospital allowed the mixture as a prophylactic treatment to prevent leaking and oozing and prevent post surgery infection . post surgical infections were reduced by 63 %. hospitals are managed with interactive checks and balances to minimize systemic problems . infectious disease gate - keepers would not allow use of the powder without an active antimicrobial ingredient in the or . when the pi was added , the gate - keeper allowed the mixture in . oozing sutures , staples and incisions no longer produced exudate and biofilms did not grow around the breaks in intact skin . while a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above , those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications , permeations and additions and subcombinations thereof . it is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereinafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications , permeations , additions and subcombinations that are within their true spirit and scope .