I carry 6 tampons in my BOB...they weigh absolutely nothing...sterile enough for SHTF ditch medicine and do a great job...as a former medic and EMT, what I don't care for with this new invention is there are too many of these small coins of gauze...it will be headache for the E.R. Doc or surgeon to account for them all. Tampons would be much easier, less expensive and just as effective.
In all seriousness....you could insert antampon into a knife wound for example...cover it with a maxi-pad and wrap an old style army bandage around it....it is very effective...
Army Combat Medic veteran co-worker/friend told me once they all carried tampons and had used them successfully.
This was on my mind. It doesn't seem like there is a bandage or anything else (celox etc) that will solve hemorageing. I'd think this is still a problem even with arm&leg wounds.An industrial first aid trainer told me years ago that tampons were great to use as packing in a large flesh wound, and I keep a box of both the slim and super in the medicine cabinet. He cautioned against using them in a chest or abdomen wound since they would only plug the hole, and not necessarily stop the bleeding in a large cavity, but for something like a stab wound to an arm or leg, they work great. The old belted maxi pads also make a great compress pad, and can be tied tightly over a wound if necessary.
Except the fact those X's on them are purposely designed to show up on X-rays so sponges DON'T get left in the body.As one other person already commented that is a recipe for disaster for a surgeon because he has very little accountability of how many little sponges there are
Interesting article. The antimicrobial properties would be very helpful in controlling infection alos.
Thought a tampon did the same thing lol