tampons": o.b. SO while I had as much available medical supplies on hand as I could possibly pack into the backcountry. The Ask an Expert section is currently for members of our online community. Youre sick and tired of men articles on this topic? Your email address will not be published. Only it wasnt just the king. Thanks A Comprehensive Analysis, Exploring the Innovative JBX Theater: Revolutionizing the Entertainment Industry. This is as opposed totemporary cavitation, which is the damage to the bodys tissue caused by the energy dissipating from the projectile portion of the bullet. 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. Theres nothing wrong with wearing a bra while you sleep if thats what youre comfortable with. Due to the occult (hidden) nature of the trauma behind the skin layers, it wont always present obviously or immediately. As to how old this practice is, one of our correspondents says he saw tampons used in this fashion during the Vietnam War. Very different kind of bleeding, too. 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. My point is that sometimes we may have to use a little ingenuity to save a life or two. While many assume he was specifically talking about menstrual absorption, there is no evidence that it is specifically meant to stop bleeding. They absorb blood. Just a question in regard to female injury vaginal the blood is usually in this example will say do to impact or tearing higher ratio of actual blood Still victims are encouraged to use pads to absorb the blood is it because its an internal injury and would there be a better comparison possible with use of tampons and pads in tactical injury. Does the army use tampons? He said when my husband and I sent the last care package Marine X came over to his cot picked up the box, started fishing through it, and said, "What'd we get this time?". Myth: busted. Step 2: Pack the wound with gauze. This fluid is not pressurized like arterial blood is throughout the body. In 1931, Earl Haas, a physician in Colorado, developed a cardboard applicator tampon that was meant to absorb menstrual blood. Tampons have been used by U.S. Army medics as emergency wound care dressings: This particular story about a wounded Marine saved by a tampon included in a misdirected care package from home is factual. 2nd they are not sterile, which maybe true however infections are easier cured then the outcome of uncontrolled bleeding. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested! The bullet entered the inner elbow and exit the back. Bullet wounds tend not to be linear, nor are they tampon sized. Scan this QR code to download the app now. The x large roll of gauze would be a MUCH more effective wound packing material but he chose the tampon because the gauze would never fit in his helmet and would take up a lot of space anywhere else in his kit. Fun fact: Military bases in the US and abroad often feel like their own mini cities. It collects the bleeding . Kim: Your expertise to state that tampons are sterile is? This pesky topic seems to rear its ugly head semi-routinely. Modern-day pressure dressings are in fact designed to treat penetrating traumatic injuries related to austere or combat environments. Get exclusive premium content! The word improvised gets thrown around in the field/tactical medical industry more than I want to acknowledge. A Brief History of Tampons and How They Were Used to Treat Bullet Wounds Tampons have been around for centuries and were originally used for healing. My sister said she doesn't believe in mistakes. Is this not the central reason why people think tampons would work, because most people would assume that a bullet wound cavity (at least that of a smaller caliber round) would lend itself to be filled by the expansion of a tampon? You can thank Nose bleeds probably for helping create this line of thinking. He swore by them, so I tried them, and they worked great, so now I wont carry anything else!. As luck would have it he grabbed the tampons, and my son said everyone was teasing him about "not forgetting his feminine hygiene products". Put the fear of total civilizational cowabunga into your friends and family today! We examined the evolution of the medical application of tampons, uncovering the surprising history of these products and exploring their innovative use in treating gunshot injuries. LSM Type II IFAK with a couple of great options and one bad option for controlling major bleeding. If you are making love with your regular partner, he may well feel a difference (because he knows you so well physically). The function of the internal tampon is to absorb menstrual blood inside the vagina after it has left the uterus, preventing it from leaking out, and thus providing suitable protection with total discretion.. Our verdict Several first aid experts told us not to do this, as it may not work and could risk further harm. Slowly but surely, tampon manufacturers got back on their feet, rebranded, and continuously assured customers that their products were safe and FDA-approved. Have you ever played a game of telephone? But there are times that a tampon might be helpfulnot with an arterial bleed but maybe the entrance wound or not a hollow-point or assault style weapon wound in the core of the body. If the tampon is at body temperature, it is soft and flexible like the wall of the vagina. As nobody's ever written about moss tampons, though, this remains just a theory. Youre missing the entire point of the article. A myth it is not. Come join the discussion about collections, gear, DIY projects, hobbies, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! I seen them used a couple times on my second tour to Iraq in 2004. Sources: That was the extent of the IFAK for WWII and Korea. I can't tell you how many guys, with a straight face, will tell me that a tampon will plug a bullet hole. I bet some of you must be thinking, I have inflicted, seen, and/or treated numerous gunshot wounds, and there is no way I could have plugged any of them with a tampon! Bear with me here. The sad truth: if you're trying to stop a femoral arterial bleed with your wife's extra heavy Tampax, you're going to . You can catch up with Cache teaching EMP survival at survival expos, teaching SERE to ex-pats and vagabonds in South America or getting in some dirt time with the primitive skills crowd in a wilderness near you. OR even a bad cut from a hunter that accidentally slit his hand while field dressing a deer or elk!! NOTHING BUT nothing is as good as the ER Department to save a life from a potential Sepsis infection from a knife or bullet wound! OR, like the camp cook that was prepping food in the dining and cooks tent! (Note: Is this article not meeting your expectations? Sanitary pads should not hinder the menstrual flow, so some people feel that using them can help their period to end sooner. Until you can get to a medical facility at least. During World War 1, field nurses discovered that Cellucotton worked well as a disposable feminine napkin. (Its the childrens game where you whisper a message into someones ear, and they pass it to the next person, and its surprising how few times it takes to get changed into something that barely resembles the original sentence.) Your combat medics were retarded or never dealt with a gunshot You state over and over that tampons are a bad idea for a trauma kit, but when it comes to the core of why people choose to carry them, you dont actually address *why* they dont work. Seen first hand of a tampon being used in a gunshot wound. So whats it going to be? 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). This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. They are sanitary but not sterile. You simply insert the tampon tube into the vest or body armor and push the tampon gauze ad into the wound. He said one of the guys attached the panties to an antenna and it blew in the wind like a windsock. In ancient Japan, they created tampons out of paper, in Hawaii, they used ferns, in Indonesia vegetable fibers and in Africa rolls of grass. That way the brain can continue working and keep the rest of the body going which is what were after here. A tampon is a menstrual product designed to absorb blood and vaginal secretions by insertion into the vagina during menstruation.Unlike a pad, it is placed internally, inside of the vaginal canal. That is significantly different from sterile. Photo: author. These tampons back then were made from softened papyrus. Skin-to-skin contact between adults can increase levels of oxytocin, the love hormone. Remember, the entrance wound is determined by the size of the bullet, it is the wound you can physically see. Tampons are not sterilized when they leave the manufacturer, and there really is not a need for them to be. Roman women used wool tampons. Sometimes, both parents and teens may wonder whether tampons will have an impact on virginity. Amputation Doctors began sawing off limbs to prevent the spread of infection. Infection CONTROL measures are important, but that can be done after the injured HAVE been treated for severe blood loss! The expiration date on the package is the date in which the company can no longer guarantee a sterile product. Contents When were tampons invented? Unusually among many inventions, the tampon in its two modern forms (with applicator and without) was formed, invented, and distributed almost entirely by women. It sounds like what started as truth got modified or adulterated a little each time it was retold until some of the stories circulating today bear little resemblance to the original. This is why we assess and treat injuries in the order of Circulation, Airway, Breathing (CAB). 9g of blood, stop an arterial bleed, capable of pumping out 1000 mLs in just over 3 minutes, https://www.crisis-medicine.com/heavy-flow-is-not-massive-hemorrhage-tampons-dont-belong-in-ifaks/. 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. When we talk about damage caused by a bullet, there are two main types permanent and temporary cavitation. In some cases, such as a .20 or .30, theyre smaller in diameter than a regular tampon. Yes, tampons can get stuck but don't panic! We also investigated the origins of tampons and how they came to be used as a medical treatment. Could it happen? June 3, 2014 By Caleb Causey filed under All Articles, Equipment and Accessories. The expiration date on the package is the date in which the company can no longer guarantee a sterile product. 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". This isn't to say you shouldn't use a tampon to pack a wound if you were shot in a remote rest-stop bathroom and there was literally nothing else available. It is critical to remember that once you have managed the bleed, you still need to manage the casualty for hypovolemic shock. That's what tampons were developed for, believe it or not. The staples used are not so different from the regular office ones (judging by the look). A pressure dressing and duct tape is better than a tampon. Just as sterile i not more so than those gauze pads and other medical stuff. Menstrual tampons are feminine hygiene devices, usually made of absorbent cotton, that are temporarily inserted into the vagina for absorbing a woman's blood during menstruation. Example: [Collected via e-mail, January 2005], He told me how wonderful the care packages were and wanted me to tell everyone thank you. This is the last (and possibly most pertinent point) as to why a tampon wont work when treating a GSW at best it will simply stretch the skin of the entrance wound and plug it creating a hidden cavity that will simply pool blood removing it from circulation. Shertz, M. (2019, July 18). Cache was mentored in survival by a Delta Force Lt Col and a physician in the US Nuclear Program and in business by Stephen R. Covey. The base camp was 12 miles from the nearest forestry department road! Have there been cases where a tampon, feminine hygiene pad, or diaper may have served as a dressing in a pinch? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You can use it to pack the wound and then wrap it up tight, as shown here. Tampons just make menstrual bleeding less messy. In the Napoleonic Wars, the most used firearm in that conflict was the Charleville a smoothbore musket of .69, .70, or even.71 caliber. 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved Tampons absorb more than just menstrual blood about a third may be vaginal and cervical fluids (depending on how absorbent your tampon is) (1, 2). Hi Dexter, I too remember being told on my initial army basic training that tampons were appropriate for haemorrhage control. At $0.25 each, thats up to $18 of tampons to do the job of one trauma dressing. 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. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way. People who are relying on the anecdote of a military guy carrying a tampon in his helmet are forgetting to consider why he made that choice. As a woman, Im here to tell you that tampons dont stop your vagina from bleeding, they just absorb the blood. I highly disagree. My own experience has been that gunshot wounds range from poking a tiny hole, tearing a giant gash, and bouncing around internally like a ball in a pinball machine (if the pinball opened like a jagged metal parachute). You could even get sued if you treat a patient beyond your level of training. They use kotex and tampons because they dont have better on hand. Ever see Blackhawk Down where the blood shoots across the room at high pressure? Personal Defense Network Video Membership. If you hadn't stopped that bleeding he would have bled to death. TSS is typically caused by an overgrowth of bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus. It only works with a used Tampon, Duh. Like Rover said the tampon idea originated from soldiers trying their best to save a buddy in a time when the issued first aid consisted of a single small minimally effective pressure dressing on the lbe harness.The current IFAK has two different options for wound packing,which is an effective means of stopping bleeding.The tampon is less than ideal but better than nothing. 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). The initial discovery of the telescoping cardboard "applicator tampon" was developed and patented by the Colorado doctor Earl Haas in 1931, but it was a woman, Gertrude Tendrich, who bought the patent and started to produce it, expanding from sewing tampons at home to distributing them under the now-famous brand name Tampax. What is the difference between packing the wound with gauze vs inserting a tampon? This was the whole point of the article. Tampons do not stop bleeding. That way the tampon should slip in easier. Your email address will not be published. I have been fighting this nonsense ever since the GWOT started. Lets remember, the goal of controlling bleeding is not toabsorbblood, but tokeep it in circulation. What we can know is that he wanted to make sure nothing was internally applied without absorbent material involved. This means bacteria and mold can grow if theyre not stored properly. It seems we've been putting folds of various stuff up our genitals for thousands of years, though you'll likely be surprised at the reasons why. By becoming a member, you will have access to our experts knowledge in Personal Defense. Handling gunshot wounds in an active shooter scenario. Using applicator tampons can be less messy as the applicator deals with the blood, rather than your finger. Snip off the bloody excess and discard it, saving the rest of the unused regular gauze for further in the packing process. You can buy two Olaes bandages for under $15, and two Israeli bandages for under $10. We are interested in fact, not supposition. In his treatise Illustrations And Proofs Of The Principle Of Population, published in 1822 the English thinker Francis Place advocated a tampon for contraception, in the same vein as a sponge. Hello Christine, We are talking about run-of-the-mill female sanitary products, that some believe are an essential part of every firearms owners emergency kit. Required fields are marked *. This was the first commercial distribution of menstruation-related items. The pressure dressings designed by the companies I just mentioned are specifically designed for moderate to severe arterial bleeding and packaged for austere environments. 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. If youre dealing with a gunshot, what exactly and how are you packing it in the field? One medic with years of combat experience said that after absorbing the blood from a bullet-wound, the tampons leave something like a tail protruding from the wound which makes it easier and convenient for medics to . OUT there? And, again, it's not for menstrual purposes: it's for stopping baby-making. To answer my own question it looks like it can be done. A gsw is already a dirty wound and unless you are masked up and donning sterile gloves while using sterile technique you are still introducing bacteria into the wound. For ages, people have said that Hippocrates, the most famous Greek doctor of all, talked about tampons made of lint wrapped around sticks. Tampons are clean. Let alone the extra 20-50 miles to the nearest hospital? But for the record blood-letting was a good idea back in the day too. I am extremely relieved to see a thread, not just a post, devoted to this. Packing wounds in the field just introduces more contamination into the wound, which creates infection, but that is why they make antibiotics.. saving lives sometimes is a compromise between best practices and absolute desperation. Using a tampon has no impact on whether on not someone is a virgin. Instead, they were medical devices, designed to treat prolapsed pelvic organs, much as a modern vaginal pessary would today. Get everything included in Premium plus exclusive Gold Membership benefits. It took me quite a bit before finding a solid article on the topic. . Tampons do not stop your menstrual blood from leaving your body, and you wouldnt want them to. The Napoleonic Wars saw many medical innovations, including: Yes, doctors literally plugged the hole by inserting a dressing that resembled a tampon into musket wounds. Wont even finish the rest.not worth MY time. If you say you do not want me to try and stop your bleeding with a tampon, what would you want someone trying to help you do? With your membership you will also receive discounts on products and hours of Premium video content. Its not like people say hmm, should I carry compression bandages or womens sanitary devices? Ask ANY Army OR Navy combat medic ABOUT the critical importance of the Golden Hour?)!! Hi Barry. A ideal kit for first responders. Ancient Japan: Paper Tampons (Maybe) One of the first civilizations to use tampons for apparent menstrual reasons may have been the Japanese. A student stocks a bathroom with free pads and tampons at a high school in Falls Church, Va., in 2019 . One historically-relevant innovation is organic tampons. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. . According to a study published in the International Journal of Surgery, The use of tampons to treat gunshot wounds has resulted in improved outcomes and decreased mortality rates among injured soldiers.. The entry was packed with. If you get stabbed, open a tampon and whack it in the wound. Hope that answers you question, RangerRick. The discharged fluid is made up of about 40-50% actual blood, and then several other types of tissues, such as uterus lining, broken-down unfertilized eggs, some hormones, and maybe even small amounts of vaginal secretions. a regular tampon could absorb approx. In WWII, that was the battlefield antibiotic of choice. The idea of wound management is to STOP the bleeding, not induce it. IF the wound is linear and tampon sized, then a tampon will work. Hello. BECAUSE hopefully a local hospital will be able too call for a medical aviation unit ( essentially a Medevac helicopter ), OR Air Medical Flite helicopter to transport an individual too the nearest hospital trauma center!
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