A few weeks ago the latest LARPER “alpha” hit twitter in a way that even we did not expect.
That’s right, Tampon Wound Packing.
We watched from the outside as people began to debate the pros and cons of a tampon, meant to absorb blood from menstrual bleeds, was debated vigorously as a way to pack a bullet or stab wound.
And then from top rope, like Ric Flair in his prime, came @DocVenom90 putting an end to the silliness being displayed for all the world to see.
Here is a link to his epic takedown and solid destruction of Tampon Gate 2023. ←Make sure you read this.
We love content like this.
We believe you can always work through the truth, but it is impossible to work through the lie.
The lie here could lead to someone being underprepared and misinformed causing a loss of life.
So, you bought tampons for this purpose and now realize it was a bad idea? Throw them away and get the tools that work and learn from men like Doc Venom.
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW FOR OUR PREMIUM TRAUMA KIT.
We reached out to Doc to ask a few more questions and get some more sage advice for our blog followers.
BowTiedGasMask: We understand that you were in the military. What branch and how long did you serve?
DocVenom90: I was in The US Army for 7 Years. I was not a medic in the Army, but I had a huge interest in the medical field. I just never thought I was smart enough to become a Paramedic.
BowTiedGasMask: Were you first exposed to battlefield medicine here or was it something that had interested you prior to your service? Did the military offer you extensive training here or was it basic and then you acquired a deeper knowledge as a civilian/paramedic?
DocVenom90: My journey through medicine actually started when I was 12. My favorite TV show growing up was Trauma: Life in the ER. The things I saw the doctors and surgeons do was pretty amazing and my interest only grew. There was a life changing event that happened to my family when I was 12 that really cemented my commitment to one day being a First Responder. When I was 12, my 2 year old brother nearly drowned in our pool. I found him floating. I pulled him out of the pool and performed CPR on him until the Fire/Medics arrived and took over his care. He went from being cyanotic and unresponsive to screaming and pink by the time they took him out. I was thanked and told I would be a great Fire/Medic one day. So my journey began. I then went on to join the army in a time of war and the waitlist for the 68w program was about a year and I wanted to get in and go to Iraq. I joined as an 88M and found myself being cross trained as the Platoon Medic and Mounted Machine Gunner before we deployed. My humvee and later, my Caiman, became the Medic/CasEvac vehicle during our deployment. I assisted the Medic assigned to us on several injuries to our troops and Iraqi partners. When I got out of the Army, I instantly enrolled into an EMT course and started my career on a BLS 911 Truck. My main area of assignment was Detroit and I saw and performed a lot. I moved up into a ALS Alt-Staff 911 Truck and really started to learn the capabilities of my skills. My paramedic partner taught me a lot over the 4 years we spent together, and I got the confidence to take on Paramedic School.
BowTiedGasMask: Not many people can say they saved their brothers life. That's an incredible story. What is your relationship like now and do you ever remind him that you saved his life if he gets out of line?
DocVenom90: We have a great relationship at this point. I was gone for a while in the service and after I got out, I was dealing with some mental health/ substance abuse issues, so I stayed away to make sure he didn’t even see what that was like. But we have been great for the past 7 years, he turned 21 and now he is following me into the Fire/EMS service. He wants to help people and how crazy that of all things, he’s in the job that helped him when he was young.
BowTiedGasMask: How long have you been a paramedic?
DocVenom90: I passed the certification and licensure test in February of 23 and took over the role of Primary Paramedic on a 911 Fire Based rescue truck and have been doing that ever since. I’m coming up on my first full year as a Paramedic.
BowTiedGasMask: Your post breaking down the idiocy of packing a wound with a tampon really blew us away. When we read that, we knew we had to follow you. What was it about that claim of stopping a bleed with a tampon that made you go - hold up a second, let me explain why this is BS? Do you see other advice or social media trends on trauma medicine that concern you because citizens might actually adopt them as real, actionable advice?
DocVenom90: The amount of trauma calls I deal with, I feel, have pushed me to become a SME in regard to treating a patient properly and looking forward to what this patient requires down the line. I definitely don’t get tunnel vision and make sure I’m not only treating what’s happening now, but setting them up to recover and maintain stability as best as I can.
I see a lot of people on social media who take what they see in movies and hear from other people and try to make that law and it really bothers me because they are not only doing injustice to our profession, but they are going to under treat someone or possibly kill them.
BowTiedGasMask: Hypothetical or maybe you have a story, but if/when you arrived at the scene of a shooting or stabbing – could you walk us through your assessment of the victim and your interventions step by step?
DocVenom90: When it comes to a trauma assessment, especially with penetrating trauma, the biggest things I look at is the area in which the injury is located because that can determine what could possibly be affected. The basic ABC’s are huge because they can be ominous signs of where your pt is at the time you found them in regard to hypovolemia and shock.
The first thing I want to do is identify where the bleed or bleeds are coming from and patch them. Tourniquets are for the extremities only and everything else gets a seal or a trauma pad. At minimum 2 large bore IVs with a fluid bag to maintain blood pressure and the use of something called TXA or Tranexamic acid will help with clot formation and hopefully slow down the hemorrhage. Airway is always important. And then rapid transport to a shock trauma center. Reassessing your patient is pertinent to making sure your treatments are working and they arrive at the hospital in the best condition they can be.
BowTiedGasMask: We’ve seen paramedics that carry huge duffel bags of gear. It’s their profession and we get it. But what would you tell a citizen they should carry in their cars as a bare minimum for an emergency?
DocVenom90: In regard to a civilian who doesn’t have access or training to operate at the paramedic level, the biggest things one should carry and actually get TRAINING on would be at minimum, 2 chest seals, 1 for the front and the back. A roll of tape and an abundance of gauze to wipe the area and to make sure the seals stay in place, at least 2 tourniquets and abdominal compresses. A 3 inch and a 6 inch to make sure whatever wound you find can be completely covered and have pressure. I would then go over that abdominal pad with a Triangle sling and wrap it into a knot over the wound to help with the pressure or you can use an Israeli Trauma Bandage. Packing gauze is a great option to stuff into a wound like a GSW or a stab hole as outside compression might not be enough. It has to be PACKED INTO THE WOUND, using a finger until you can’t fit anymore into it. The biggest failure point is shock treatment, and everyone should have a foil blanket to keep the person warm because as they lose blood their body will get colder. Then it’s all about rapid transport to a hospital.
BowTiedGasMask: Having known lots of firefighters and EMT's, I know you come across some crazy things out serving your communities, what is the wildest thing you have ever encountered?
DocVenom90: Wildest thing? I mean I used to work in Detroit, so I’ve been on scenes where people pull up and start shooting into the house I’m in because of some rival nonsense. I’ve seen bodies laid out in a field after a hit. I’ve delivered 3 babies in the field. There are some dark calls that I don’t talk about because they are really bad, and I only share them with my closest people.
BowTiedGasMask: As you pointed out, for a person first getting into this, training is essential. Are there any companies you would or online content makers you feel get it right that you'd recommend?
DocVenom90: When it comes to really learning this craft, the best places to start are an accredited college or Vocational School. Online there are several great people on here that provide as close to real life training as possible. LoneStarMedics are great at what they teach, the American Heart Association is the baseline alongside NAEMT. YouTube has great providers like The Paramedic Coach and PrepMedic.
BowTiedGasMask and H2K are glad there are men like Doc Venom out there that take this stuff seriously enough to call out bad advice when they see it being floated as gospel online.
Detroit can rest easy knowing there are dedicated and competent professionals like you.
Give Doc a follow-on Twitter!
TY Doc!
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