. They use kotex and tampons because they dont have better on hand. 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). 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. But even if they have, that doesnt mean they are what you should reach for in an emergency. They come on a stick that seems like it should fit into a bullet wound track, so why wouldn't it be effective in a gun shot wound for hemorrhage control. WHY didnt they buy candles. It was not until 1940s that many companies made tampons. However, as my military medical career progressed and I gained more education and experience, this is one of several medical interventions that were either modified or removed. 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! Ask ANY Army OR Navy combat medic ABOUT the critical importance of the Golden Hour?)!! I dont as a matter of habit carry a bunch of tampons in my truck for whatever. Press the artery to the bone to stop the bleed. Instead they planned to improvise. The pads created in that time led to Kotex pads in 1920, when wealthy white women bought them in department stores and bribed the cashiers to make sure they held their tongues. 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. 3. 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. This was the whole point of the article. If only that were true. Your combat medics were retarded or never dealt with a gunshot 30 April 2003. Call a doctor if you think you may have toxic shock syndrome. Causing it to expand placing force on the damaged soft tissue, thus controlling the bleeding. 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. For more information, please see our Carry the correct stuff purchased from a medical supply store. Step 5: Secure a snug pressure dressing and transport. Ill describe one of the methods of packing that was taught to me, and I have seen used to good effect on live tissue. What were tampons invented for? There are better options today, but if you run out of them, a tampon is still a convenient way to get gauze inside a wound. He said it entertained them for quite awhile. Sometimes it better to say nothing than let everyone that works trauma thi nk your speaking out of turn. As long as there is human history, the innovation is not likely to stop. 1. Deal with it! "Tampons" for medical use Of course, they weren't called tampons in Ancient Egypt, which was where the first similarly-constructed device was recorded. I've seen people advocating for using them in medical kits. how much blood do you want be adsorb rather than stopped. Deep packing with Gauze accompanied with pressure is a standard method for controlling bleeding in gun shot victims. If the tampon is at body temperature, it is soft and flexible like the wall of the vagina. The purpose of packing a wound is that while the medium used absorbs, it swells. r/todayilearned Join 5 days ago Not trying to be critical here, just trying to really understand all of the downsides of this method of wound management. You might get penicillin back in the division hospital, but in the foxholes and ditches it was sulfa powder. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. Deryck-PDN. From here, its a short leap to use tampons as field-expedient water filters, charring them to start fires with flint and steel, mixing them with Vaseline for fire starters and pretty soon, you have a survival kit made of nothing but feminine hygiene products. Im still haunted by the memories of seeing one Medevac helicopter after another land at the nearest pads for our ambulances to go out and meet the choppers. 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. Professional responders will be there fast and just direct pressure would be better/faster. However, the tale's premise, isn't all that outlandish. 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. Very different kind of bleeding, too. This does not mean it is in circulation. At most, a woman loses 60-80ml of blood during a period (about 1/3 of a cup). Could it happen? Tampons do not stop bleeding. The Tampon: A History - The Atlantic From a medical standpoint, I can talk about tampons and the many uses of said tampons much better than you ever could. Depending on the calibre, the entrance hole might be small. Fun fact: Military bases in the US and abroad often feel like their own mini cities. Come join the discussion about collections, gear, DIY projects, hobbies, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! 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. 20 Ridiculous Survival Myths That May Honestly Get You Killed - MSN Photo: author. They are designed from the ground up to control moderate to severe bleeding, including pressurized arterial bleeding. Hi Barry. The other type of tampon, the no-applicator kind, was invented by the German gynecologist Dr Judith Esser-Mittag, which is the reason they tend to be referred to in the literature as "o.b. A tampon is designed to absorb blood [and all those other fluids mentioned in the article]. Tactical Shooting Drills & Handgun Training, Personal Protection Devices, Tools and Accessories, Clubs, Shooting Facilities & Associations, 10 Survival Uses for Tampons | Urban Survival Site, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/tampons-to-the-rescue/, 24/7 Access to Premium Personal Defense and Firearm Training Videos and Drills, Step-by-Step Instructional Demos and Guides, 50% Off Video Downloads Purchased in the Personal Defense Network Shop, 2 Full-Length Video Downloads to Watch Offline, 9 Full-Length Video Downloads to Watch Offline, 2 Full-Length Personal Defense Classes to Keep for Life, 2 In-Depth Skill Development Presentations, Discounts on Purchase-to-Own Content in the Personal Defense Network Shop. Getting as much medical info to the paramedics would also hasten medical response. Denver District Attorney Spews Wild Misinformation During Colorado Assault Weapons Ban Committee Testimony Fun fact: Military bases in the US and abroad often feel like their own mini cities. EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. Say I am at a concert. 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. Overall, the future looks relatively bright, as long as the tampon can adjust to our higher standards about health, safety, and greenery. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); As a former nurse LPN I have to agree with a lot of what this article said. Ill bring it right over.? If cost is a concern, it shouldnt be. A survivalist explains that a tampon cannot provide the surface area or pressure required to control massive bleeding. Antiseptic cotton rolls were used to stop bleeding from bullet wounds. You can urinate with minimal undressing just unbutton your pants. Ill say maybe in Las Vegas. The big difference was they were impregnated with sulfa powder to prevent or inhibit infection. Another case of "possibly, maybe" in tampon history comes from blood moss, a European plant with pretty unique astringent and blood-stoppering qualities. You have to open the package three times before you can even use it. A myth it is not. The 'tactical tampon' is not a fancy, 'high-speed' product fresh from the minds of trauma device developers. Bullet Wounds and Tampons | Survivalist Forum I have seen posts by at least a hundred people that include them in their kits instead of real bandages because they heard online that it works. We teach the science, the anatomy and the what, when and how to treat not only GSW, but bleeds from any mechanism of action. RangerRick nailed it. This transfer of energy essentially separates the layers of muscle tissue in particular and causes a hidden cavity behind the entrance wound of the permanent cavity. Theres no guarantee the tampon []. Clean and free from debris, yes but not sterilized. The dynamics of wound generation are very different from the slow musket ball to modern high power rifles. On torso wounds, things get even more complicated. The only reason I would stuff a tampon in someone is if I shot them and was trying to extract intel out of them. In 1931, Earl Haas invented the menstrual tampon most commonly used in the twenty-first century. The tactical tampon is not a fancy, high-speed product fresh from the minds of trauma device developers. You guys have no clue what it will be like. Finally, we discussed the role of tampons in treating gunshot wounds during war times and the impact this has had on the medical community. When they went to check on him later the surgeon told them, "You guys saved his life". Before then homemade tampons made of fabric were already in use. It was the big difference between getting wounded in WWI and getting wounded in WWII. And please explain how a tampon DOES work? Take a Xanax Jax. Origins: This story about feminine care products used to save the life of a fallen Marine began landing in the snopes.com inbox in January 2005. They'll come out eventually. It is unclear exactly how the idea of using tampons to treat gunshot wounds originated. Why do American tampons have applicators? I've seen a scary and common misconception that it's just fine to put a tampon in a bullet wound to stop the bleeding. Handling gunshot wounds in an active shooter scenario. You guys dont really understand why using a tampon for bullet treatments actually works. 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. The absorbent wads were more commonly used to soak up blood from wounds in World War One, or to administer medicine vaginally. Learned its many uses a hundred years ago when I was boxing. As a field paramedic in an urban area I see a lot of gunshot wounds. Having had to use tampons, israeli bandages, QuikClot (which has its own litany of negative issues), Kurlex and other improvised wound management material one fact is clear, if it helps control the bleed then its affective. Sometimes a wound cavity would take more than one tampon, and it was always used in addition to serious pressure at and above a wound site. The corpsmen spread it over burns and wounds equally. Sure. Ancient Japan: Paper Tampons (Maybe) One of the first civilizations to use tampons for apparent menstrual reasons may have been the Japanese. IsItBullshit: Tampons were originally made to plug bullet wounds - Reddit Bleeding stops by pressure in most cases, a tampon expands when blood hits it. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia? God bless each of you for your efforts and hard work, and God bless our Marines! Many troops live on themsometimes with their families! If you have the choice, use the right tool for the job. 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. A pressure dressing and duct tape is better than a tampon. It can also make you feel more connected to your partner. One of the first civilizations to use tampons for apparent menstrual reasons may have been the Japanese. The Myth of the 'Tactical Tampon' for Gun-Shot Wounds 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! Lost me when you said they werent sterile. Kim: Your expertise to state that tampons are sterile is? The shelf life of organic tampons is also believed to be about five years, because cotton is susceptible to bacteria and mold. Until you can get to a medical facility at least. Matter of fact I see many post not only spreading this myth but promoting it by showing tampons for bullet wounds. Something is better then nothing. Check the wound daily for signs of infection listed below. You didnt even read the article about how plugging a tampon doesnt even make sense nor helps to stop the bleeding from a gunshot. Innovation makes history. Now lets talk about the type of bleeding one might come across from a single gunshot wound. Of course, they werent called tampons in Ancient Egypt, which was where the first similarly-constructed device was recorded. 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. 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. He is saying that using a tampon on an open gunshot wlund is a horrible idea because of the extreme difference between a gunshot wound and a period. Hope that answers you question, RangerRick. So Comfortable You Can't Even Feel It! The Cocaine Tampon Another tampon story says nurses made their own tampons during World War I. After all, that's what they are designed for isn't it? Your email address will not be published. You shouldn't put a tampon in a stab wound - Full Fact Thanks for the input. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. They also had a huge range of pessaries on offer for various gynecological problems, soaked in everything from goose fat to opium, but it's now commonly believed that they were a second line of defense, because they probably caused infections. A bomb tech once showed me a cool trick using a tongue depressor broken in half to make part of a trip fuse. What happens if you leave a tampon in for 3 days? The Ebers Papyrus, for instance, recommends helping a woman with unusual discharge by crushing up earth from the Nile with honey and galena, putting it inside a wad of linen, and leaving it inside her. Either they are lying or you are lying Dexter. Applicator tampons help to do the hard work by pushing the tampon in for you. OR, like the camp cook that was prepping food in the dining and cooks tent! I told my son I was really sorry about the mistake, and if he wanted I would send Marine X another package. Pressure dressings like the Olaes from Tactical Medical Solutions are packaged for field-like environments. While some gunshot wounds bleed very little, others will swallow an entire 4 x 12 package of compressed gauze used to pack the wound, secured by a second trauma dressing on the exit wound and then the third trauma dressing on the entry wound. Theme: Newsup by Themeansar. 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. A descendant of pioneers, Cache was raised in the tradition of self-reliance and grew up working archaeological digs in the desert Southwest, hiking the Swiss Alps and Scottish highlands and building the Boy Scout Program in Portugal. Tampon was marketed as a "smarter" alternative to applicator tampons by emphasizing greater comfort and doing away with the need for an applicator. Great question! 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. If youre going to be carrying one or the other as part of your EDC kit, dont plan to improvise plan to win! Thanks The idea of using tampons to treat gunshot wounds was controversial at first. What we can know is that he wanted to make sure nothing was internally applied without absorbent material involved. The challenge is trying to stabilize until evac is available. A Brief History of the Tampon and Who Invented It - ThoughtCo The simple why not [from 2 of my doctor friends (one of whom is an avid shooter)]. This is the part that can trip people over. He might have some smarts but you lost it here. Bullet wounds tend not to be linear, nor are they tampon sized. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. Antiseptic cotton rolls were used to stop bleeding from bullet wounds. Exploring the Life and Legacy of the Ancient Greek Mathematician, Are Fairlife Protein Shakes Healthy? Tampons just make menstrual bleeding less messy. No a tampon or a small pad is not the greatest thing for preventing an infection long-term.Im now retired from the medical field. and our Tightly! 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. Bear with me here. Thanks, rachelinnys. One historically-relevant innovation is organic tampons. Later, Gertrude Tendrich produced the first commercial tampon brand . NOPE you have not. Do yourself and your loved ones a favor: buy a real pressure dressing and take a class on how to use it effectively and efficiently. 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. And if you were to quickly spray the tampon with a broad spectrum antibiotic before packing it into a bullet wound, would this not help mitigate at least some of the potential infection that might accompany the use of a non-sterile wound dressing? Using applicator tampons can be less messy as the applicator deals with the blood, rather than your finger. . 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. Invented by German gynecologist Dr. Judith Esser-Mittag in the 1940s, the o.b. 4 level 1 In the Napoleonic Wars, the most used firearm in that conflict was the Charleville a smoothbore musket of .69, .70, or even.71 caliber. Cox News Service. 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. Republicans' ridiculous targeting of 'period talk' in school - Los 9g of blood(about two teaspoons). Apparently military have been using them for some timeand caleb..THEY ARE STERILE! You could even get sued if you treat a patient beyond your level of training. Learn how your comment data is processed. These people are often the same ones who say tourniquets are unsafe (read our article on TQs here!). As nobody's ever written about moss tampons, though, this remains just a theory. BUT?, Still I think using whatever works best in a situation like that? (Yes, first aid is good, but its called first aid for a reason). I understand your comment about medicine in the civilian vs combat environment, however, both environments have the same objective which is to keep people alive. I worked for a police department with a force of over 500 officers. You would be better off just taking off your shirt or Tshirt and using it. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. Tampons for bullet wounds? - PrepHole The use of tampons in treating gunshot wounds during war times has had a profound impact on the medical community. When shtf your gonna use what you have. Tampons do not stop your menstrual blood from leaving your body, and you wouldnt want them to. Kimberly-Clark, an American . However, as long as the package is still shrink wrapped and airtight it should still be sterile. The point is that we have to control the bleeding first, in order to ensure blood circulation. The nearest hospital? They are sanitary but not sterile. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. But even with proper treatment, a wound infection may occur. London's Science Museum displayed a medicated tampon made of cotton wool that was used in the mid-1900s, but the practice of using tampons as contraceptives dates back to ancient Egypt.. , Step 4: Apply very firm pressure to the packed wound for 3 minutes. When it comes to teens and the use of tampons, there are many questions and misconceptions. Providing first aid to victims till they could be treated by the Paramedics should take priority. Lets remember, the goal of controlling bleeding is not toabsorbblood, but tokeep it in circulation. Of course having a cool guy A-Bag full of Gucci medical gear is preferred but might not always be available. Thanks for the article. Your email address will not be published. In an emergency, even t.p. While I would have cause for pause, in a situation where someone is about to DIE from massive bleeding. One thing you'll likely need to get straight is that the tampon, in history, was rarely a tampon in the way we think today, and not just in material or shape. History of Tampons | Hankering for History started digging and here is a good answer. 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About American History, 2,200 cases of tampon-related toxic shock syndrome. So, lets compare a tampon to a trauma dressing. 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? Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested! The idea of wound management is to STOP the bleeding, not induce it. In a real world SHTF, how man of us will have enough saline soltion to rise out the left over quick clot? My son said things were going well, and then the convoy was ambushed. (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.) Suggested materials included lint, flax, cotton, fine wool (yikes, itchy) or essentially anything soft and absorbent. 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. Tampons soak up menstrual blood, but they may also block some menstrual flow from the vagina, which could extend the duration of bleeding. Hi Sherri. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/tampons-to-the-rescue/ The whole thing comes out, and the process begun again. A Comprehensive Analysis, Exploring the Innovative JBX Theater: Revolutionizing the Entertainment Industry. So whats it going to be? 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. JavaScript is disabled. Sign up for a membership now! These arent going to break anyones bank account. Tampons have been around for centuries and were originally used for healing. Youll be thinking youve done your job, but wondering why your patient is still deteriorating and exhibiting signs of hypovolemic shock. Unfortunately, while the idea of a lint-covered stick appears to be nonsense, other medical tracts are a bit more explicit in their ideas about what to put up females' intimate bits. The Tampon The name loosely translates as plug. French physicians began using battlefield dressing based on the design of the article of female hygiene. Now, a bandage that has a quick clotting agent could experience some degradation in effectiveness the further past the expiration date it goes. AND, miles away from the nearest hospital? The biggest issue with that is the limited sites that it can be used in. We also investigated the origins of tampons and how they came to be used as a medical treatment. Wrapping the entire dressing ensures that the bandage is being used to its fullest potential. 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. According to a study published in the journal Ancient Medicine, "Tampons were used as early as 1500 BC by the Egyptians for vaginal hygiene." Changing . OUT there? 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. So, once and for all, lets get this subject straightened out. Dexter, so either: What is the best less than ideal solution for a less than ideal situation? Sometimes hemostatic gauze is used (when the bleeding is severe.) We carried tampons (by the way the word tampon is a shortened form of tamponadewhat we do to blood vessels to stop them from bleeding) once upon a time because we did not have another convenient and quick form of wound packing. So, why shouldnt they work? I know for a fact a finger in the wound will plug it and possibly save your life. 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. I ONCE did my time as a triage medic in a field hospital unit during the Vietnam Era! Have you ever played a game of telephone? Yes, tampons can get stuck but don't panic! It's not clear where this information came from, though, and it may have been scuttlebutt about a particular class of women, like prostitutes. Yes, doctors literally "plugged the hole" by inserting a dressing that resembled a tampon into musket wounds. Youre not going to have choices. Anyway, again, thanks for the article, and the great discussion fodder! A tampon simply does not allow that effectively. Because you wont have a fully staffed OR. Plan to win, not just to improvise. As an example in a Active Shooter situation and without having a cool guy med kit, would you recommend NOT to use a tampon to help control bleeding? Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? This is like anything people have their own opinions but to say this is not a viable solution and or completely ignore its benefits is a bit ignorant and negalegent . I am a regular person with only the shirt on my back. Numerous soldiers have told us that yes, tampons are indeed carried in med kits and are used on bullet wounds in the field. Once reduced to the hemostatic gauze, you will press down harder on it, and peel back the wound around the edges of the pack, looking for blood welling up or pooling around the sides. Even packing gauze when removed will tear out clotting, or even irritate the wound area.