The pressure dressings designed by the companies I just mentioned are specifically designed for moderate to severe arterial bleeding and packaged for austere environments. Packing a wound is a difficult, perishable, life-saving skill. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. I am extremely relieved to see a thread, not just a post, devoted to this. At $0.25 each, thats up to $18 of tampons to do the job of one trauma dressing. A simple through and through that nicks an artery will find it nearly impossible to have a tampon inserted into it and if it is inserted it will cause more damage because the permanent wound channel is a fraction of the size of the tampon. Photo: author. Using a tampon accompanied with pressure is the same method with a different medium to absorb. Deryck-PDN. Wouldnt pads be relatively decent for packing a wound on the fly? So take it with a grain of salt. Various devices made of dung, acacia juice, goosefat, and opium (used in different mixes) were wrapped in lint or linen and used for gynecological problems and even contraception. The Ambulance Volante Although the name means flying ambulance, it was drawn by horses. One historically-relevant innovation is organic tampons. Skin-to-skin contact between adults can increase levels of oxytocin, the love hormone. Youre not going to have choices. See this article. It seems to me like its a hell of a lot more common for someone to encounter or be the victim of a gunshot wound these days than we would like to admit. In the Napoleonic Wars, the most used . In a SHTF situation like some mention, QC would be a slow painful death. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, cocaine was regularly used as a local anesthetic in surgery. Women picked up on the idea for their needs. Just as sterile i not more so than those gauze pads and other medical stuff. Cookie Notice JavaScript is disabled. Very thin paper or plastic offers little protection to the actual tampon. It was marketed as an invisible device even with the most perfectly fitted gown. Gertrude Tendrich bought the patent and launched the now-familiar brand. You would be better off just taking off your shirt or Tshirt and using it. BUT! People have experienced reduced menstrual cramping and tend to feel less discomfort. You are better off packing the wound. These days, pads are still actually the more popular option, but tampons have huge market share: surveys estimate that around 42 percent of women use them, even after the scares about toxic shock syndrome (a rare condition related to tampon use) in the '90s. 1776: A French doctor described a tampon made from tightly rolled, vinegar-soaked linen that was used to stop the flow of non-menstrual vaginal discharge. Have there been cases where a tampon, feminine hygiene pad, or diaper may have served as a dressing in a pinch? That is significantly different from sterile. Plus, there's also been a thorough backlash against the stupid woman-leaping-in-white-trousers theme of tampon ads throughout the decades, with modern tampon ads now far more straightforward (helped by the fact that there isn't as much TV censorship nowadays). Tampons are made to soak up blood, after all. He told me not to worry about Marine X because every time I send something to him, Marine X thinks it's for him too. As luck would have it he grabbed the tampons, and my son said everyone was teasing him about "not forgetting his feminine hygiene products". Now, a bandage that has a quick clotting agent could experience some degradation in effectiveness the further past the expiration date it goes. When they went to check on him later the surgeon told them, "You guys saved his life". Carry the correct stuff purchased from a medical supply store. Because they have many more uses than just shoving them up your cooch. Anyway, again, thanks for the article, and the great discussion fodder! When he brought this up my imagination was just running wild, but I let him continue. Changing . Yep. As long as there is human history, the innovation is not likely to stop. 1776: A French doctor described a tampon made from tightly rolled, vinegar-soaked linen that was used to stop the flow of non-menstrual vaginal discharge. 30 April 2003. Russians kill Russians in the war more often than Ukrainians More than 50% of the dead Russian soldiers in Ukraine died from wounds that did not threaten their lives - simply the wounded were not treated properly, said Artem Katulin, head of the Tactical Medicine Training For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Where can these items be purchased in the New Orleans area? i mai interesante suntcomentariile cu privire la acest subiect. Instead, they were medical devices, designed to treat prolapsed pelvic organs, much as a modern vaginal pessary would today. Have you ever played a game of telephone? They're also often processed using some fairly body-damaging chemicals (like chlorine), so new frontiers need to be pushed to make them eco-friendly and safe. That's what tampons were developed for, believe it or not. True they come in all sizes but so do bandages even Isrealies come in various sizes so this shouldnt be a point that eliminates their potential effectiveness. Triage Military physicians treated wounded according to rank or station instead of the severity of wounds. If a tampon truly stopped the bleeding, I would assume there would be no need to reapply any during the course of several days; however, Ive never seen a commercial with the tag line set and forget. I was in an armor/tank unit and in the 68th Medical combat support hospital. Sterile technique is not what youre able to provide in a trauma situation at best youre providing aseptic technique which is good enough. Do you have knowledge or insights to share? This allows there to be pressure against what is bleeding. Whats most important is to stop or slow the bleeding. The idea of using tampons to treat gunshot wounds was controversial at first. The brain requires several of these things in order to keep the rest of the body alive. Lets remember, the goal of controlling bleeding is not toabsorbblood, but tokeep it in circulation. The oldest printed medical document, Papyrus Ebers, refers to the use of soft papyrus tampons by Egyptian women in the 15th century BCE. We are talking about run-of-the-mill female sanitary products, that some believe are an essential part of every firearms owners emergency kit. For a man, it may feel like coming up against the cervix (this is something a man often feels). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Proudly powered by WordPress However, the tale's premise, isn't all that outlandish. Experts note that free bleeding has no proven health benefits. Tampons soak up a lot of blood, they are also made of cotton which sticks to material and tissue. From there, they had to adjust the chemicals used to produce tampons, and defend their products against Federal investigations and lawsuits. I can't tell you how many guys, with a straight face, will tell me that a tampon will plug a bullet hole. will pass the info on. Why would the bandages you discussed have an expiration date? Professional responders will be there fast and just direct pressure would be better/faster. If you're a tampon user, you may not give much thought to the small wad of fabric you put into your nethers for one week a month, other than wondering if it's leaking and getting annoyed when there's no disposal bin. I dont as a matter of habit carry a bunch of tampons in my truck for whatever. 0.543 secs. Yeah that is real life and periods dont compare. The are setrile. Dei [], You say You can buy two Olaes bandages for under $15, and two Israeli bandages for under $10. Once inserted correctly, a tampon is held in place by the vagina and expands as it soaks up menstrual blood. There were many things manufacturers did not yet know, like how long it was safe to use a tampon before changing it. Wrapping the entire dressing ensures that the bandage is being used to its fullest potential. Step 2: Pack the wound with gauze. This means you would have to cause further damage just to shove it in the hole to plug it it doesnt make sense. Tampons are not designed to stop bleeding but rather to absorb and catch menstrual blood stopping it from leaking out during a menstruating womens daily activities. I highly disagree. Never used a tampon but there is a reason I have Kotex in my first aid kit. As if I would stuff anything not sterile into my vag for absorption during my menses. After packing three balls, pack the remainder of the hemostatic gauze in an asterisk(*) pattern to create a tight dome over the bleeder. I do carry toilet paper in my truck on a regular basis and a wad of toilet paper will suffice in lieu of a kotex pad. It collects the bleeding . Worst case, a woman who happens to be riding in my truck, suddenly out of the blue starts her menses but failed to put suitable material in her handbag. Cache Valley Prepper is a pen name used to protect his identity. 4 yr. ago Bullshit. They are sanitary but not sterile. forgot to add that tampons were invented in the days of The Three Musketeers (Louis 14th) as a plug for the holes caused by musket balls. One gunshot wound that I treated presented a small entry wound, some internal injuries (which were unknown to me at the time), swelling, extreme sensitivity to even the slightest touch, no exit wound, and minimal bleeding. New York is a few centuries behind the civilized world). It is unclear exactly how the idea of using tampons to treat gunshot wounds originated. There are other methods of packing a wound: all of them are similar in effect. With your membership you will also receive discounts on products and hours of Premium video content. Materials used in the manufacture of feminine products are especially well suited to wound care. Infection CONTROL measures are important, but that can be done after the injured HAVE been treated for severe blood loss! Quite possibly. Exactly. He said, "Oh, we divided them up and we all have them in our flak jackets, and I kept two for our first aid kit". Additionally, there could potentially be gunshot wounds that will require anesthesia, open excision, lavage, cautery, ligation, and repair that is beyond the purview of the majority of even medically licensed preppers. You guys overthinking this. All youd need is a large and heavy bullet traveling slow enough, and it would poke a hole. Hes not saying a tampon cant be used for a period, thats exactly what it was made for. According to Nelly Stromquist's Women In The Third World, 4th century Sanskrit texts like the Kama Sutra recommended the use of tampons made out of oil and rock salt as contraceptive devices. That was the extent of the IFAK for WWII and Korea. If you sustained one or several gunshot wounds from a small firearm (not a rifle) and was left to save your life by yourself (since in todays world no one would do that for you), would would you do? He said one of the guys attached the panties to an antenna and it blew in the wind like a windsock. Medics with years of combat experience say they consider tampons excellent for penetration trauma because not only do they absorb a lot of blood, they are sterile, packaged with easy-to-use applicators, and leave a "tail" protruding from the wound that aids doctors in easily removing them. If youre going to be carrying one or the other as part of your EDC kit, dont plan to improvise plan to win! Pulling it back out after the tampon swells up, you risk doing the same damage as well as removing the clot you had hoped would have formed. Snip off the bloody excess and discard it, saving the rest of the unused regular gauze for further in the packing process. They may follow bone structure, or ricochet. My point is that sometimes we may have to use a little ingenuity to save a life or two. This is why include all of these in ourIndividual First aid System. Not trying to be critical here, just trying to really understand all of the downsides of this method of wound management. "Inventive GIs Make Do in the Desert." Thus, while the article may have left a few holes in the whys and why nots, it is spot-on in its advice to use the proper product and/or technique to STOP the bleeding. I have served in combat, have used tampons to temporarily treat various wounds, but that said, any packing material is not the cure all. After all, that's what they are designed for isn't it? Quik Clot vs tampons. Step 5: Secure a snug pressure dressing and transport. Apparently military have been using them for some timeand caleb..THEY ARE STERILE! Chris Hondros/Getty Images News/Getty Images, the tampon has a fascinating and somewhat disgusting history, derived from the Middle French for "plug,", crushing up earth from the Nile with honey and galena, soaked in everything from goose fat to opium, blood moss, a European plant with pretty unique astringent and blood-stoppering qualities. Gunshot wounds aren't shaped like tampons. It took several years after that for manufacturers to figure out what was even happening. You can use it to pack the wound and then wrap it up tight, as shown here. Is better than nothing at all. Contents When were tampons invented? The reason for this was because if a person is hit in the chest or back during fire fights, you dont want to strip their flake vest or body armor off them to bandage the wound. In no world would the 9g of absorption be beneficial tostop an arterial bleed, capable of pumping out 1000 mLs in just over 3 minutes. This is the theme of this article. Another case of "possibly, maybe" in tampon history comes from blood moss, a European plant with pretty unique astringent and blood-stoppering qualities. I seen them drag him out and plug it right there. Tampons just make menstrual bleeding less messy. The caveat is that wound cavitation from modern ammunition seems only to be cone-shaped in ballistic gel or when you shoot big game broadside in the chest cavity when the shot enters between the ribs. Tampons work just as well for girls who are virgins as they do for girls who have had sex. the English thinker Francis Place advocated a tampon for contraception, a woman, Gertrude Tendrich, who bought the patent and started to produce it. A solid bunch of material in a tampon simply does not pack well. The message board post was edited into the form it has now taken, e.g., the original contained details not part of the version that has come to be circulated in e-mail, including the name of "Marine X" plus a bit about the soldiers' throwing "Channel 11" footballs at one another after lights out. Three balls in total will be packed in this manner. If something was being put up the vagina (say, soaked in opium), Hippocrates did say it should be covered on motos, but there's no mention of using it to stop menstrual bleeding. The modern word "tampon" is likely derived from the Middle French for "plug," as in a stopper for a bottle or (more specifically) the plug put in the front of a gun muzzle. Exactly. Antiseptic cotton rolls were used to stop bleeding from bullet wounds. You need a fully staffed OR to clean QC out or else your buddy will die of infection, thats if the QC doesnt break apart. My son said they had the most fun with Marine X's package. Ill say maybe in Las Vegas. Temporary cavitation is important because it can be a tremendous wounding mechanism.. The Ask an Expert section is currently for members of our online community. For maximum shelf life, store the bandages in a med kit where the outer wrapping wont be compromised. For ages, people have said that Hippocrates, the most famous Greek doctor of all, talked about tampons made of lint wrapped around sticks. You can send Cache Valley Prepper a message at editor [at] survivopedia.com, Correct. Bottom: four-inch wide Israeli bandage. When using a wound packing simulator from QuikClot; it is obvious that a tampon doesn't come close to filling a ballistic wound cavity. He said the wound was pretty clean, but it was deep. On torso wounds, things get even more complicated. I cant believe nobodys put QuickClot in a cheese whiz can yet! In the article they claim a few things; If cost is a concern, it shouldnt be. Get exclusive premium content! Photo: author, When using a wound packing simulator from QuikClot; it is obvious that a tampon doesnt come close to filling a ballistic wound cavity. Sometimes the wound must be packed first. Along this same vein of reasoning, feminine hygiene pads and diapers are designed to soak up body fluids or excrement and prevent them from leaking (and sometimes to contain and mask foul odors), not stopping severe bleeding and promoting healing. Popping a tampon in a hole just doesnt cut it. This wicking away property works against the goal of tightly packing gauze inside the wound, creating pressure, restricting the blood coming out, and hopefully allow the clotting factors in the blood to activate and form in the wound. Many troops live on themsometimes with their families! Men seem to think that if they can stick a dick in it, it doesnt need anything to be sterile during the time when women are most vulnerable to infection. The tampon has been in use as a medical device since the 18th century, when antiseptic cotton tampons treated with salicylates were used to stop bleeding from bullet wounds. In either case, the preferred method (aside from ligation or resection) is deep packing with gauze. Sometimes hemostatic gauze is used (when the bleeding is severe.) These tampons back then were made from softened papyrus. And the sexual revolution in the late '60s and '70s (the ad above is from 1967) brought a new mode of more "feminist" tampons, as critics pointed out that scented tampons were actually completely useless and quite bad for your pH (still true). Some of the earliest tampons recognizable as we know them todayintra-vaginal devices made from a string and a wad of something absorbentwere documented in Europe in the 18th and 19th century.. >raid pharmacies and car first aid kits for tourniquets, >call your wives and get them to send you fresh PADS, >Early in December, the Russian Defense Minister, General Pavel Grachev boasted he could seize Grozny in two hours with just one airborne regiment, >doc rolls your torso up in adult diapers, >dies to fucking the tetanus wagon instead, >no visible symbols marking it as an ambulance. Your email address will not be published. Women in ancient Japan fashioned tampons out of paper, held them in place with a bandage, and changed them 10 to 12 times a day. If you want to go the extra mile, add a 2-pack of vented chest seals, but I recommend that most folks leave the nasopharyngeal airways, surgical lubricant, and chest darts to the medical professionals. However, it is believed that the idea came from the militarys need to find an effective and efficient way to treat wounds in the field. Because thats a different situation where tampons are useful for me . A tampon. Cache Valley Prepper is the CEO of Survival Sensei, LLC, a freelance author, writer, survival instructor, consultant and the director of the Survival Brain Trust. Exploring the Benefits of Probiotics in Greek Yogurt, Who Invented the Pythagoras Theorem? Claim: Tampon used to stanch deadly wound saves Marine's life. They were initially made of cotton and were designed to be inserted into the vagina to absorb menstrual blood. yes they will expand but that is a great thing, espically since, THEY ARE STERILE. Ask any woman. Tampons are not designed to stop bleeding, but rather simply absorb it. I too am a Sam Huston trained medic, 5th Grp SF. Have you ever had to open an Israeli bandage in a crisis situation that is in 2 separate packages? The expiration date on the package is the date in which the company can no longer guarantee a sterile product. A tampon is designed to absorb blood [and all those other fluids mentioned in the article]. Fun fact: Military bases in the US and abroad often feel like their own mini cities. LSM Type II IFAK with a couple of great options and one bad option for controlling major bleeding. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way. It was a contraceptive device, a way of distributing medicine, a method of healing, and often not thought to have anything to do with menses at all. Photo: author. Olaes Modular Bandage has additional bulk gauze inside it. As nobody's ever written about moss tampons, though, this remains just a theory. Not a good as a hemostatic, for sure, but the gauze provides a lattice at the edge of the leaky artery to allow the clot to begin to form, same as stuffing a wound cavity with Kerlex, just packed smaller and with a tube to facilitate getting the gauze in the cavity and close to the bleeder. Kim: Your expertise to state that tampons are sterile is? Let alone the extra 20-50 miles to the nearest hospital? Here's a list of items you can just toss out from your bullet-plugging gunshot wound medical kit: Tampon. Is it a end all be all solution, no, are there better products YES however this doesnt make them something that should not be considered. It was issued to every Marine as part of his 782 gear. Thank you for dispelling that myth. And, again, it's not for menstrual purposes: it's for stopping baby-making. Menstrual tampons are feminine hygiene devices, usually made of absorbent cotton, that are temporarily inserted into the vagina for absorbing a womans blood during menstruation. While many assume he was specifically talking about menstrual absorption, there is no evidence that it is specifically meant to stop bleeding. Drawing straight from the toxic shock syndrome controversy, organic tampons drop the risk of being affected by trace chemicals. Tampons and pads are not sterile. This does not mean it is in circulation. Causing it to expand placing force on the damaged soft tissue, thus controlling the bleeding. Youll do just about anything to help stop bleeding from a potential stray bullet wound! If I had been there my first reaction to render aid would be grab gloves, duct tape, scissors & thick pads as well as peroxide. According to Carla Rice in her book Becoming Women , people objected to them for all sorts of reasons: religious leaders thought they'd make girls prone to erotic feelings, and parents didn't want their daughters' hymens ruptured. While Dr. Earle Haas patented the first modern tampon in 1931, tampons had been used for thousands of years prior to that by women across the globe. . 3rd they cause damage when being removed, this is true to any packing material. The modern tampon (as in a tampon with an applicator) was patented in 1933 by a guy who then sold the patent to a woman who founded Tampax. Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? Soldiers tell each other things like "use tampons to fill bullet wounds" as a way to slightly bolster morale in a bad situation. This article explored the history of tampons and their unexpected use in treating gunshot wounds. The History of Tampons and Their Use for Treating Gunshot Wounds, When Was the Rollercoaster Invented? Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia? And I USE too provide EMT service in my brothers hunting camps in the high mountain country of New Mexico and Colorado. "Well, yeah!" Made from everything you can think of (rock salt, opium, and elephant dung are all on the list), tampons have been used for centuries for a huge swathe of purposes. We also investigated the origins of tampons and how they came to be used as a medical treatment. The pad will suck out the blood and, in the process, not allow clotting to occur in the injury (the clot will happen in the pad). Instead, they were medical devices, designed to treat prolapsed pelvic organs, much as a modern vaginal pessary would today. AND, miles away from the nearest hospital? Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. Suppose you are putting together a trauma kit, stock it with trauma dressings, compressed gauze, a tourniquet or two, 2 tape, gloves, and some BZK wipes. Unusually among many inventions, the tampon in its two modern forms (with applicator and without) was formed, invented, and distributed almost entirely by women. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. The French Revolution changed everything, and the guy in most urgent need of medical intervention got treated first (unless youre a boyfriend of Mario Cuomos daughter, then you get a COVID vaccine ahead of at-risk seniors. Providing first aid to victims till they could be treated by the Paramedics should take priority. Learned its many uses a hundred years ago when I was boxing. I am absolutely amazed by the ingenuity of our Marines, and can't believe that something that started out as a mistake ended up saving someone's life. Sure. The efficacy of a dressing in saving a life is based on promoting clotting and healing more than absorbency. Yes, tampons can get stuck but don't panic! Hornadyexplains it well: In essence, a bullet going through soft tissue has the same effect as dropping a stone into a pail of water. Antiseptic cotton rolls were used to stop bleeding from bullet wounds. The Tampon The name loosely translates as plug. French physicians began using battlefield dressing based on the design of the article of female hygiene. Get everything included in Premium plus exclusive Gold Membership benefits. So, why shouldnt they work? If women are on oral contraceptive agents (the pill) their periods often shorten and lighten. Even if we wanted to absorb the blood,a regular tampon could absorb approx. Im not sure if you are aware the military actually has invested in an a tactical approach using the same technology as the tampon (slight variance as the Militarys applicator uses beads of the same material instead of a large swab). According to a report from the National Institutes of Health, In 1966, the Army implemented the use of tampons for the treatment of gunshot wounds. The tampons were soaked in antiseptic solutions and inserted into the wound to stop bleeding and protect against infection. The biggest issue with that is the limited sites that it can be used in. He was inspired by a female friend who used an internally-applied sponge for menstrual flow, and informed by his own experience, since doctors had been using cotton plugs for bullet wounds and other secretions for years. He swore by them, so I tried them, and they worked great, so now I wont carry anything else!. In 1931, Earl Haas, a physician in Colorado, developed a cardboard applicator tampon that was meant to absorb menstrual blood.
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