Back in August 2014 I was on a long distance walk, Walking the South Downs Way with a mixed group and one of the girls was messing around and done a cart wheel and landed on a metal spike which punctured her thigh which was bleeding pretty bad, I bandaged it up the best I could but the blood kept seeping through even though I put on a second dressing, then I thought look in my Survival Tin? yes there it was a sanitary towel! I always carry them because if you open them up you can use them for lighting a fire but on this occasion I didn't un-roll the sanitary towel I just pushed it into the hole in her leg which stopped the bleeding within about 2 minutes as it expanded and then re-bandaged the leg again which lasted until we managed to get her to hospital where the nurse treating her thought it was a good way to stem the blood, so my advice would be to always have sanitary towels in your First Aid Kit just in case of puncture wounds, needless to say the girl in question was very thankful to all that was involved in getting her to hospital.
Sanitary towels as wound dressings
- Thread starter Nemesis
- Start date
Back in August 2014 I was on a long distance walk, Walking the South Downs Way with a mixed group and one of the girls was messing around and done a cart wheel and landed on a metal spike which punctured her thigh which was bleeding pretty bad, I bandaged it up the best I could but the blood kept seeping through even though I put on a second dressing, then I thought look in my Survival Tin? yes there it was a sanitary towel! I always carry them because if you open them up you can use them for lighting a fire but on this occasion I didn't un-roll the sanitary towel I just pushed it into the hole in her leg which stopped the bleeding within about 2 minutes as it expanded and then re-bandaged the leg again which lasted until we managed to get her to hospital where the nurse treating her thought it was a good way to stem the blood, so my advice would be to always have sanitary towels in your First Aid Kit just in case of puncture wounds, needless to say the girl in question was very thankful to all that was involved in getting her to hospital.
Whenever I see the claims about using tampons for gunshot wounds I wonder just how many of us are ever going to be in that situation. Sanitary pads certainly make good improvised dressings for large wounds (and pilonoidal sinus operation wounds!) but I would rather have a proper dressing designed for the job, not least because those usually come packaged in such a way that they remain pretty much sterile until opened. At other times I've used a variety of things as dressings including clean tea towels since I wash those at 95C, so although not sterile they will be pretty clean.
……..and that is one of the most practical comments yet 
Yes, they are sold in the UK. They are widely available from Chemists, ebay, etc., and they generally come sterile too. For some reason though some folks seem to have gotten it into their heads that using sanitary dressings is a very good thing for deep, open, or heavily bleeding wounds.
I have to wonder….if they were the best thing, why the hang do we have bandages and field dressings then ?
M
Yes, they are sold in the UK. They are widely available from Chemists, ebay, etc., and they generally come sterile too. For some reason though some folks seem to have gotten it into their heads that using sanitary dressings is a very good thing for deep, open, or heavily bleeding wounds.
I have to wonder….if they were the best thing, why the hang do we have bandages and field dressings then ?
M
I was incredibly happy that I had a FFD in a easy to access pouch on th shoulder strap of my bergan when I managed to get my Tib and fib to poke out of my hide. It was very cold so I didn't bleed much but the FFD was just the job to cover the two holes, there was plenty of bandage to hold it on good and tight and the tough waterproof wrapper meant it was in perfect condition to use despite my falling into a run off filled stream and going completely under.
When I got out of hospital and was sorting my kit out I had to bin all the paper wrapped stuff in my first aid kit, the now wife had emptied the bergan out and most of th kit had been in dry bags so was fine but the first aid kit I'd kept in the top pocket of the bag to be accesible hadn't been waterproof ( since changed ) nor had the case for my monocular. At the time we lived near a specialist, well I'm not sure what you call them but they mended cameras, binoculars and telescopes and herself took it to them to be cleaned, which was very sweet of her. If I'd asked her to take it out and stick it on a rad it would have been fine as it has been wet meny meny times, just leaving it in a soggy bag for several weeks...
My point being ( having wandered off ) is the waterproof wrapper is a great idea. Ziplocks don't always work, especially if they have been rubbing against the other first aid bits. Ok if you check them regular but even then...
ATB
Tom
When I got out of hospital and was sorting my kit out I had to bin all the paper wrapped stuff in my first aid kit, the now wife had emptied the bergan out and most of th kit had been in dry bags so was fine but the first aid kit I'd kept in the top pocket of the bag to be accesible hadn't been waterproof ( since changed ) nor had the case for my monocular. At the time we lived near a specialist, well I'm not sure what you call them but they mended cameras, binoculars and telescopes and herself took it to them to be cleaned, which was very sweet of her. If I'd asked her to take it out and stick it on a rad it would have been fine as it has been wet meny meny times, just leaving it in a soggy bag for several weeks...
My point being ( having wandered off ) is the waterproof wrapper is a great idea. Ziplocks don't always work, especially if they have been rubbing against the other first aid bits. Ok if you check them regular but even then...
ATB
Tom
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…What's an FFD ?
I know that sanitary dressings do not come in waterproof wrappers…..mine ended up packed in the smallest dry bags because of that
It's quite astonishing just how much they swell up when they get soaked though !
I pack my FAK in one too now.
M
I know that sanitary dressings do not come in waterproof wrappers…..mine ended up packed in the smallest dry bags because of that
It's quite astonishing just how much they swell up when they get soaked though !
I pack my FAK in one too now.
M
Sorry, should have used the full name.
i carry ths sort now
http://www.kitmonster.co.uk/product_info.php/products_id/1033
Got surplus for a Quid or so a pop but it was the old sort I used when i broke my leg.
http://www.outdoorgb.com/p/Field_Dr...dItem=633844&gclid=CJzsx9nMo8MCFauWtAodBXIAtw
ATB
Tom
i carry ths sort now
http://www.kitmonster.co.uk/product_info.php/products_id/1033
Got surplus for a Quid or so a pop but it was the old sort I used when i broke my leg.
http://www.outdoorgb.com/p/Field_Dr...dItem=633844&gclid=CJzsx9nMo8MCFauWtAodBXIAtw
ATB
Tom
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And you are spot on Toddy. Must be a South Lanarkshire thing;-)
..and that is one of the most practical comments yet
Yes, they are sold in the UK. They are widely available from Chemists, ebay, etc., and they generally come sterile too. For some reason though some folks seem to have gotten it into their heads that using sanitary dressings is a very good thing for deep, open, or heavily bleeding wounds.
I have to wonder .if they were the best thing, why the hang do we have bandages and field dressings then ?
M
I'm surprised no one has mentioned using sphagnum moss for an emergency dressing yet!
Sent from my hidey hole using Tapatalk... sssh!
Sent from my hidey hole using Tapatalk... sssh!
Good article IMHO http://privatebloggins.ca/?p=1026
I have had a few Israeli wound bandages in my car for years now. If you can use the correct tool for the job then use it!! Only be a medical MacGyver when you are screwed
I have had a few Israeli wound bandages in my car for years now. If you can use the correct tool for the job then use it!! Only be a medical MacGyver when you are screwed
bambodoggy
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
As an Air Cadet years and years ago I got into road marching and one of our favourite pranks was to get a tampon from one of the girl cadets and then surreptitiously pop it into another cadets (boy cadet worked best for effect) black 58 water bottle.......and then say nothing as they tried to work out why their bottle felt full of water but nothing came out....then finally the realisation of what had been done to them, followed by their effort to get the saturated tampon which is now several times bigger than it was, back out of said water bottle..........oh how we laughed! (yes, it was done to me too).
Seems a bit childish and silly as a prank now........but as a 13/14/15 year old cadet it was one of the funniest things I can remember
As to the original point.....as a bloke I don't carry ST as a general rule (got a couple of tampons in my car fak.....but then I have 4 FFD in there too for potential chainsaw incidents) so its very unlikely I will ever come across a situation where ST are the best I have available, I either won't have them....or if I was tempted to pack them in my fak, then I wouldn't as it has FFD'ings in it...does that make sense? Lol
They aren't meant as dressings, they aren't great as dressing and unless you are a female and at a certain time of the month are unlikely to have them.....seems a bit of a no brainier question to me
There is also the possibility, depending on the wound, that you could do more damage using a ST or tampon.....honestly, it's true
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bambodoggy
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Stick around buddy.......thread ain't finished yet
I know; from previous readings this topic brings all sorts to the chat with their pennies worth! Always intrigued to read the arguments for and against stopping blood loss!
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Thats the truth, a proper 'pad' dressing and direct pressure is far more effective than an ST.
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