Perhaps you should clarify your question....
-do pads and vag rockets soak up blood...of course they do
-does a pile of 4x4's soak up blood...of course it does
-do wither of these control hemorrhage...absolutely not.
Example I pointed out to my idiot nurse in the ED the other day.
69y/o guy on coumadin came in after a fall with a head laceration with blood RUNNING OUT OF HIS HEAD WOUND LIKE A FAUCET. She meets him in triage and slaps a 6in stack of 4x4's on his head and walks him back to me in the trauma bay.
Me: "Why all the 4x's?"
Her: "To stop the bleeding!"
Me:
As blood continues to POUR out from around, under and through the 4x4's...
I remove the bloody "stack" take ONE FINGER and put it on various points around the wound until "POOF" the bleeding STOPPED. A figure 8 suture and 14 staples later (along with some monitoring due to his coumadin)...he ended up leaving the ED.
My point??? pads, pons, 4x4's contraceptive sponges, mom's finest linens, grandma's cheesecloth...none of these things control hemorrhage. Which should be your ultimate goal.
If you find someone down and bleeding in the local minimart or 7-11 and want to do the cool guy MaGyver thing -> grab the stay free and go for it. IT really makes no difference.
I will ADD this one tidbit though...if ising a tampon to control an anterior nasal bleed...be CERTAIN it is UNSCENTED. The chemicals used to provide that "flowery fragrance" have a tendency to burn the nasal mucosa and cause significant issues later on.