Compressed gauze was NOT helpful in emergency.
Posted by Wackyjack92@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 111 comments
FYI to anyone with compressed gauze in their medical kits like myself. Thought it would be nice and neat in my medical kit. Just had to use it in an emergency situation to quickly dress laceration on neck until we could get to emergency room. It was impossible to un-compress and unwrap under full adrenaline spike. I will be adding regular gauze rolls to my kits. It may sound like such a small consideration but it made an impact in a fast paced emergency situation.
Both_Ad_694@reddit
Heads spinning with different advice. One way to force a stop the bleed course.
mdjmd73@reddit
Best tip - regardless of dressing type, don’t remove and replace. Just add more on top, til proper help arrives, or you arrive at ER.
Previous_Fan9927@reddit
This is… misguided advice.
I’m an ER doc at a trauma center. I can’t tell you how many times someone comes to the ED still soaking through the pile of shit that family and first responders piled on a wound. My first move is always to take all that shit off and apply pressure to the wound.
Please, for the love of god. Take a Stop the Bleed course, everyone. Learn how to pack a wound, apply pressure, and use a tourniquet correctly. It’s super easy, but I almost never see it done right.
Creepy-Cantaloupe951@reddit
Thats because you're a doctor, and lay people are not. This is something that is trained in every first responder type of training, for anyone except presumably a doctor.
I would trust YOU, a doctor, to know what to do if you remove the previous layers, and it's an aterial bleed that hasn't clotted. I would trust you'd know how to get the artery sutured or otherwise repaired.
But the deal is, you're no building a "soft pillow" here, you're compressing all of those layers, as they are added.
Saloncinx@reddit
I did an all afternoon AED/CPR/First Aid and also stop the bleed class for work a year ago, it was crazy eye opening, everyone should take the same classes!
MedicMalfunction@reddit
Yeah, so I’m a paramedic, and the misinformation in prepping circles about wound care and health issues is staggering. I’d really recommend a stop the bleed class, if not a full emergency medical responder (EMR) course if you are super serious.
Academic_Deal7872@reddit
If I listen to another lay person suggest tampons, I'm gonna go break stuff.
wishinforfishin@reddit
Didn't have any tampons, so I'm holding a menstrual cup against the puncture wound on my foot. Am I doing this right?
Ryan_e3p@reddit
Instructions unclear, shoved foot into wound to plug it up
Creepy-Cantaloupe951@reddit
"I had to jam my thumb in there..."
so_it_hoes@reddit
Nah bro it’s organic to free bleed now. Just imagine the chemicals otherwise.
FaceDeer@reddit
Flush all those microplastics right out.
Academic_Deal7872@reddit
It uses suction so yes. But also the nurses are laughing at this. Well done!
Nenarath@reddit
Well if you get it to seal against the skin that might work... youd have a diva cup shaped clot eventually so that might be fun!
finchthemediocre@reddit
Bro, they work though. Never used them on a call, but I've seen it in effect while we were fucking around at the station.
themakerofthings4@reddit
Are we talking belt tq here? They might "work" but it's not a substitute. Last one I had a guy was using his belt as a tq on the other individual. It worked to slow the bleeding but the patient had lost 2 units prior to my arrival and was still leaking while I applied a tq.
finchthemediocre@reddit
No, I would never use a belt. I was referring to a tampon against the mighty - nose bleed, while bored.
Academic_Deal7872@reddit
GSW, no, never. If you have nothing sterile and you unfold it to hold pressure on a laceration, okay, but be ready to add more dressings. If you are using tampons to goof off at the station, find something better to do or rest.
Unicorn187@reddit
Worse when it's an EMT instructor saying this.
Academic_Deal7872@reddit
There are instructors saying this? Have they ever worked IRL as an EMT?
Unicorn187@reddit
Yes to both. He was from that time when people thought it was good idea. I just stayed quiet.
Academic_Deal7872@reddit
May I ask where you are from? I was first trained in 1997 and I've never heard of it being a thing in the service or in Air Ambulance. I switched careers in 2010 but I never heard it anecdotally or in instruction be a thing. I'm in the US and am former military.
Unicorn187@reddit
This was in WA like 4 years ago.
He was a former USAF medic (not an IDMT) and was still thinking of the stuff from the 00s when people were carrying them overseas because someone, somewhere had a "good idea," and it spread to some military medics. I think it finally died a few years ago in the military but you'll still find former medics/corpsmen saying how they carried them in their aid bags.
I've shared videos of how they are useless in tissue simulants, and I love how a former MD, I think it might even have been Alton, showed that it had as much material as a 2x2, and you weren't stopping a bleed with a freaking 2x2.
Shameless522@reddit
But what else are we going to do with the free ones in the men’s room?
mountainsformiles@reddit
Thanks for this! I laughed so hard!! 🤣
Shameless522@reddit
Thanks! Glad someone appreciates the smart ass sarcasm.
https://i.redd.it/eucfvgtw8x0g1.gif
Academic_Deal7872@reddit
Someone else's junk is none of your business. they are ok for bloody noses in a pinch.
Old-Repair-6608@reddit
Amateurs..pros use pads with wings /s
jtj5002@reddit
The best ones are "TQs are useless, just use your belt"
eflask@reddit
yep. you carry what you're trained to use and that's it. get training, and keep your training current.
Creepy-Cantaloupe951@reddit
Compressed gauze is for stuffing wound cavities, not to use as a wrap, generally.
Mountain_Fig_9253@reddit
Former Paramedic here: stock a bunch of abdominal pads for gushers like this. The 5x9” ones are big enough for most lacerations. Slap those bad boys on the laceration and hold pressure.
The rolling gauze is best for two things: to wrap a bandage to keep it in place, and to stuff into penetrating trauma. I didn’t use many of those in the field to be totally honest.
I highly recommend that EVERYONE in the US find and take a “Stop the Bleed” event. Trauma centers put these on in the community and it’s a chance to practice applying a tourniquet as well as to pack a penetrating wound.
finchthemediocre@reddit
I had one patient, 36 stab wounds. One to the neck. Pack gauze, 5x9 over it, seal over that and then C-Spine collar to hold that in place while we worked on the other 35 critical injuries.
everevergreen@reddit
Did they make it?
finchthemediocre@reddit
Yeah, paralyzed waist down though. She was stabbed by a married pastor who was mad because she was marrying a man and he was having an affair with her.
madkingsspacewizards@reddit
Churches man, not at all surprised
Hidesuru@reddit
That's a crazy amount of damage holy...
finchthemediocre@reddit
They found the suspect, a pastor at that, walking in a trance about a block away blood covered with knife in hand. Prosecutors didn't have to work that hard.
Grizlatron@reddit
Smart to think of the spine collar
ChandrikaMoon@reddit
Ok you’ve convinced me. I’m looking up courses in my area. I thought you might like to know you made a difference!
Saloncinx@reddit
I did a AED/CPR/Fist Aid and specifically a stop the bleed class all in one go. It was really eye opening.
Mountain_Fig_9253@reddit
Nice! You will enjoy the class. At the ones I was involved at there were trauma surgeons attending and teaching. It makes an impact when a trauma surgeon is telling you not to worry about blinding sticking gauze into a penetrating wound plus you get to ask them questions. It’s short and sweet and then gives you practice time.
woahwoahwoah28@reddit
I took that course in grad school even though I'm not patient facing. And it was super helpful.
Super easy material. But it's not all intuitive.
I mostly just remember them saying to fucking pack the thing with whatever you have (though preferably clean gauze) and hold pressure until help arrives. But I wouldn't have known to do that naturally.
The_walking_man_@reddit
Thanks for the info! I’ll be looking into this!
I’m in a rural area and help isn’t always right around the corner should an emergency happen.
Unicorn187@reddit
Stop the Bleed themselves used to have an online portion you could take.
They are also usually free. Occasionally you'll find a place that charge five or ten dollars just to cover supplies,
Thoth-long-bill@reddit
Thank you so much
tdubs702@reddit
Thank you! Do you know of entire kits that are actual good?
PurpleCableNetworker@reddit
Avoid Rhino rescue. They have a bad case of sub par equipment.
HobbitonHuckleshake@reddit
North American Rescue is the standard, IMO. They're what a lot of different agencies issue.
Own_Exit2162@reddit
Build you own, in accordance with what you're trained to use.
Dear-Nebula6291@reddit
Also wondering. A lot of my stuff sits in my car as I drive long distance in the desert and it’s time to replace most of it from sitting in a car on a 128 degree day for several years.
finchthemediocre@reddit
Build your own to be honest. Most of the stuff can be generic brand. There's a few items that will come with a pre-packaged kit that are never going to be as good as the original item in the bag (Stethoscope, BP Cuff, Tourniquets, etc.) It'll cost about the same if you get your dressings wholesale online from China or some shit and they will hold up.
MeteoroidCrow@reddit
Every time I see a “Stop the bleed” class mentioned I try searching for one and there are never any by me in Wisconsin. What should I do?
Mountain_Fig_9253@reddit
Call the closest trauma center to you and ask them if they are running any. It’s the trauma centers that run them and they may not advertise them externally. Ask for someone in the trauma program and they should be able to direct you.
Also it looks like there is an online class.
https://www.stopthebleed.org/get-trained/online-course/#:~:text=It%20teaches%20the%20same%20information%20but%20allows,video%20demonstrations%2C%20interactive%20learning%2C%20and%20spontaneous%20quizzes.
MeteoroidCrow@reddit
Excellent, thank you!
Own_Exit2162@reddit
The key piece of advice here is training. The best first aid kit in the world is useless if you don't know how to use it (and haven't practiced using it, especially under stress).
CanaryMassive3191@reddit
Former Army Medic here who carried, used and was trained on compressed gauze. Compressed gauze is not for an emergency bleed, it's for wrapping after bleeding has stopped, (ie compound fracture needs wound covered, full thickness burn needs covered, or bursting blisters on the feet need covered.) emergency bleeds you need hemostatic gauze, Israeli bandages, or TQs for.
RoriTheBoss@reddit
It's eye opening to hear real experiences like this. Having the right supplies matters so much in fast emergencies. Thanks for sharing what actually worked for you, it really helps others prepare better.
Far-Respond-9283@reddit
Is the person ok?
XilodonZ@reddit
That's a valuable lesson. In real emergencies, simplicity matters more than compactness. I'll definitely add regular gauze rolls to my kit too, thanks for sharing this.
Slut_for_Bacon@reddit
You should be putting an occlusive dressing on neck wounds. Compressed gauze is perfectly fine to use, the issue was your adrenaline spike. I get where you're coming from entirely, but just fyi, compressed gauze is a perfectly good tool to use.
ATF8643@reddit
Compressed gauze and z-fold are different although from places like NAR they look similar in packaging. Compressed gauze forces you to work the gauze in your hand to find the seem and then work it. It’s ok if you’ve handled it before, but if it’s a foreign idea it’s tough to use. It’s very useful because it’s easy for wound packing or pressure bandage or even sling if you have to, but next time buy a lot and handle it before you need it. The same goes for almost any device.
pjh@reddit
Compressed gauze is best when wound packing. Regular gauze pads for holding pressure, etc. Seal the box, pack the junctions, TQ the limbs. If the neck lack was a good gusher, I would have preferred compressed gauze. Peel off a little bit, hold it to the wound while you unspool a little more. Pack it in and repeat until bleeding slows. But yeah, everyone should really take a stop the bleed, emr, wfr, or something at a bare minimum if you want to be able to do more than have a fancy first aid supply looking pretty on a shelf.
Spiley_spile@reddit
Stop the Bleed instructor here. I highly recommend folks train with any equipment they plan to carry, before needing to use it.
OP brought up a very important detail. Adrenaline spikes. They alter how our brains function. Repetitive training helps move information into muscle memory, where it will be easier to access.
For bleeding control kits/gunshot wound kits etc, be sure to "stage" your supplies. In a time critical injury, every second counts. Staging your kit means setting it up ahead of time so it's ready to go. Tourniquets need to be out of the plastic, and if not already folded in a quick-deploy formation, unfold the TQ, and refold it for rapid deployment. (There are online training resources for this sort of thing.) Depending on the brand, you may be able to stsge your other supplies in more or less optimum ways. Do your due dilligence when researching how best to do this. Remember, some folded gauze is impregnated with hemoststic (blood clotting) agents. Opening these ahead of time in a way that exposes them to air could mess them up. I personally dont use hemostatic agents.
To OP, thank you for taking action during a medical emergency. Regardless of outcome for the patient, those situations can hit hard after it's all said and done. Sometimes immediately after, sometimes months after. If you need someone to process it with, you're more than welcome to DM me.
AwkwardSmirk@reddit
This is my favorite sub for things like this. Thank you for taking the time to share. I just ordered 5x7 ab pads and got rid of my compressed gauze.
Previous_Fan9927@reddit
Don’t get rid of your gauze because someone on the internet didn’t know how to use theirs.
cjenkins14@reddit
Reasons to practice with your gear
Impressive-Creme-965@reddit
True but you can’t really practise for an actual emergency when adrenaline is high as OP said they were
Iwentthatway@reddit
You’d be surprised how panicked you become just having someone stand over you with a stop watch
cjenkins14@reddit
Coming from the military no I really wouldn't be because I've had worse. If a stopwatch makes you panic what kind of prepper are you lol. This whole hobby is about operating under pressure.
Iwentthatway@reddit
Wut. Are you claiming adding a time component to practice doesn’t add pressure and isn’t part of practicing? Cause that’s frankly illogical. That’s basic training methodology used in multiple fields. There’s a world of difference between practicing applying a tourniquet and practicing applying one in under 5 minutes and subsequently lowering the alotted time.
You having a military background is irrelevant to every one else needing to 1) practice 2) practice under pressure.
cjenkins14@reddit
If you'd conveyed that the first time instead of just a vague, I'd be surprised maybe we wouldn't be here.
You created a whole ass argument in your head, assumed it was my opinion and I'm not even going to start to try to address that.
Previous_Fan9927@reddit
You’d be surprised to find out this person wasn’t talking to you
Iwentthatway@reddit
If you look at my original comment, I wasn’t responding to you. I was responding to another commenter. They said you can’t really practice an emergency. I suggested adding in a time element.
I was agreeing with you.
PrepperBoi@reddit
Snort some caffeine and go save that cpr dummies life
cjenkins14@reddit
No you can't. But you can learn to control yourself under pressure/adrenaline.
Adrenaline combined with the pressure of someone bleeding and the stress of figuring something out that you've never done before is a bad combo.
Adrenaline combined with the pressure of someone bleeding and you doing something you've trained before isn't.
That being said some people got it and some don't. Hopefully you find out that answer before it matters.
Blackish1975@reddit
And with expiring fire extinguishers. Made our kids empty them out on our lawn
bookofp@reddit
Depending on the chemical makeup of them, that might be unwise
KennyGaming@reddit
Errr for the lawn or for the kids? Consumer chemical extinguishers are usually safe as long as you aren’t standing directly upwind.
Careful_Wind_6253@reddit
Many foam based contains pfas.
Blackish1975@reddit
I don’t want my kids worry about chemicals if there is a fire. But no, I didn’t have them using on windy days. Mornings are usually calm.
Blackish1975@reddit
And this also isn’t 4 times a year. We have done it 3 times together in 20 years.
randynumbergenerator@reddit
Aren't most ABC extinguishers sodium bicarbonate or ammonium phosphate? I mean, you wouldn't want to get it in your eyes or drink it, but putting it on the lawn or being around it shouldn't do much harm. If it's the purple stuff, that's a different story, but IDK who has those for home use.
trailquail@reddit
My former workplace did the same thing. Even just a few practice runs makes it faster to respond under pressure.
Tornado2251@reddit
If you have never used something you buy at least two. One to practice /experiment with and one to add to the kit.
I have a box of different stuff i have opened to test. I keep most of it if i need to reference it or show someone.
Soff10@reddit
Prepare your kits. Remove sealed items from the packaging. They are slippery in sweaty or bloody hands. If one gauze is good. 3 is better. Use that rule and you won’t be without. I doubt you’d need a chest seal but a tourniquet and a few Z-fold quick clot gauze works well. Good medical tape and medical scissors.
ThirdHoleHank92@reddit
Im a current paramedic. You used the wrong tool for the job. This is not the gauze fault. Compressed gauze are to pack deep wounds or punctures. They are z-folded for this purpose.
It's NOT supposed to be used for surface level lacerations, and they arent meant to be used to wrap.
The correct equipment would have been a combi-pad /4x4s and rolled gauze/kerlix. Put a bulky combi-pad/4x4 on and wrap with kerlix or rolled gauze.
fenuxjde@reddit
Israeli bandages work great in high adrenaline situations like this because rolling it around is all gross motor. I try not to have any fine motor things for emergencies.
PrepperBoi@reddit
A neck laceration mixed with an Israeli Bandage. Wouldn’t that restrict their airway…?
paragon_of_karma@reddit
Wrap around the opposite armpit, preferably with a wad of 4x4 on the wound under the Israeli to increase spot pressure because it's not necessarily the best angle.
themakerofthings4@reddit
This is where training and practice come into play. You're not wrapping it around the circumference of the neck ideally.
fenuxjde@reddit
Yeah in this specific situation, sure, my post was def more of an "in general" type of thing
plausocks@reddit
yknow if my neck has a hole in it, i dont think im worried if a bandage is too tight
RoyalEnfield78@reddit
EMT here. You should worry about that. It can restrict blood flow to the place that needs it most - your brain.
Yougotsiked@reddit
Medical is maybe the trickiest part of prepping. Training helps, but the more you learn the more dangerous you can be at a point. I’m a firm believer that medical kits should be basic OTC supplies and meds. These Israeli bandages, tourniquets, abdominal pads etc is useless without knowledge. You’re better off with anti diarrhea, nausea, and anti-Inflammatory meds. A few ace bandages, and waterproof bandages is really all you need. Anything more complicated than this, you’re likely to do more harm than good unless you do it for a living. You can take a stop the bleeding course, and maybe even a EMR course if you want but it’s probably not going to help much IMO. A neck lac that hits the carotid will be fatal in about 30 seconds. You have to reach into the neck with your finger, find the severed artery and pinch it till you’re on the surgery table. Most professionals would fail at this much less someone who got a one time course not to mention the adrenaline rush which causes most things to fail.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Remember to breathe, I heard it helps...
qwerty5560@reddit
Was it a z fold gauze?
ProphetOfChoice@reddit
Oh my! I had a failure with gear I’ve never used! Holy shit. This must be a first!
Square your shit away next time and know how to use it. Next case.
clementineford@reddit
Shame you're getting downvoted by the armchair brigade here. You're completely right.
Tight-Talk-7591@reddit
Your mom squared my shit away and knew how to use it last night. ;)
Sawdustwhisperer@reddit
Not sure why you're being down voted so much because you are actually stating the obvious (but hurting their feelings I guess).
Practice does NOT make perfect....PERFECT practice makes perfect!
BlacksmithThink9494@reddit
I feel like we grew up together with this phrase.
Dangerous-School2958@reddit
Good tip. Not something I'd considered
Kind_Man_0@reddit
Just practice with it.
Used compressed gauze when downrange. It's intended to be shoved into a wound, and I'm betting OP was unwrapping it as he went along.
When using compressed gauze, you should squeeze the roll to loosen it, and pull from the middle. We were taught to pull a bit out, and shove the package with the roll inside of it into our neckline if we were wearing armor, or into our pocket if we weren't. It holds the package in place while you pull and prevents it from bunching up.
Yes, it increases the risk of infection getting the gauze dirty, but if you find yourself in a situation where you need to quickly stop or slow blood loss, focus on what will kill your patient first, infections can be dealt with later.
Educational_Clue2001@reddit
That's why every once in awhile I like to run through and exercise with my EDC medical gear that involves retrieving it from my truck running to a certain location (usually far enough to get my heart rate up) and I practice running through my bag on the less expensive equipment like dressings I practice opening them.that sort of thing it's important to be prepared
jtj5002@reddit
Compression gauze is for mainly wound packing, not for skin deep laceration. And if you never practiced with your gear, of course you aren't gonna get shit down in an actual emergency situation.
Take a stop the bleed class instead of blaming your lack of skill and preparation on your equipment.
clementineford@reddit
The gear is fine. Your issue here was a complete lack of practice.
oregon_coastal@reddit
Ab pads my dude.
Myspys_35@reddit
With compressed gauze do you mean the sterile vacuum sealed packs or the compressed gauze in tablet form used for skincare stuff?
But agreed - practice practice practice AND try doing things one handed. Risk is high that you will injure a hand and immediately need to deal with it. I became a convert with 4-in-1 pressure bandages after a nasty cut - added benefit is it has instructions on it as you are very right, the adrenaline spike can be a killer to your memory. I know fully well what to do in these cases but when you have blood across multiple rooms and cant even tell at the beginning where it is all coming from, your brain just blanks
DiezDedos@reddit
Squeeze the compressed gauze along the long edge. That separates the layers and makes it easier to get the end
Ryan_e3p@reddit
I can see a reason to keep both. Compressed saves space, and can be useful to adding layers if bleed-through happens and you have a couple minutes. Uncompressed, as you experienced, can save time in initial applications where time is of the essence.