Wound Packing

Posted on August 28, 2021 by Brian McLaughlin — Leave a comment

Combat Gauze Vs. QuikClot

One of the things I say with regularity is how important it is to learn wound packing. But if you haven’t heard, here’s why:

Wound packing is an essential skill because a tourniquet (TQ) cannot be used to treat all life-threatening bleeding. Don’t get me wrong, TQs work great for arms and legs, but if you’re bleeding from anywhere else, such as your neck or groin, wound packing is the only thing that will save your life.

I’ve gotten some questions recently asking what I think is better, QuikClot, or Combat Gauze. There are a few differences that might help you understand what it is you’re carrying in your trauma kit.

Continue reading Combat Gauze Vs. QuikClot

Posted on August 13, 2021 by Brian McLaughlin — 6 Comments

Time To Talk: Tactical Tampons

It seems to me that most rumors, if left uninvestigated for too long after being conceived, tend to die long slow, and painful deaths.

One of my favorite topics on this blog is investigating emergency trauma myths and whether they’re worth holding on to.

Some rumors (such as extremity elevation above the level of the heart to reduce bleeding) are actually found to be effective after being studied by health care researchers.

But most rumors (like, “your limb will amputated if a TQ is used”) are false, dangerous, and have killed many people over the years.

In this article we’ll be discussing why Tampons are a

terrible choice to stock in your trauma kit, and some items that will work much better for saving your own life, or the life of a loved one.

Continue reading Time To Talk: Tactical Tampons

Posted on February 28, 2021February 28, 2021 by Brian McLaughlin — Leave a comment

Tourniquets Can’t Fix Everything. Why You MUST Learn Wound Packing

Tourniquets (TQ) have an especially big flaw: They only work on your arms and legs. What if you’re cut somewhere else? What’s your plan for that?

Carrying a CAT for emergencies is great until you trip into a pine tree branch and punch a hole in your neck.

People seem to gravitate to the tourniquet as the only thing they need for bleeding control, but while the TQ is important and effective, you can’t use it to treat other injuries. (Unless we’re talking about the SWAT-T. But I’m staying off that soapbox, for now.)

Here are two good reasons why learning to wound pack is just as important as tourniquet application:

Posted on December 11, 2020 by Brian McLaughlin — Leave a comment

What If You Don’t Have a Tourniquet or Trauma Kit? Bleeding: Part 2

This article will focus on what other steps can be taken to reduce blood loss when you are caught in a bad situation without gear. Now that we understand how to apply direct pressure and why it’s probably better then trying to make a tourniquet, we can look at methods for increasing our effectiveness.

This week will continue along with the theme of how to save a life without medical gear.

Wound Packing

If you have our Yellowstone Trauma Kit you’ll feel comforted to know it contains a roll of QuikClot, a hemostatic agent (makes blood clot quicker).

This is a handy item to have in a pinch, but if you don’t have any, what else can be done?

Research shows packing wounds with gauze, any gauze, is an effective way to control bleeding. All you need to do is make some.