Bandaging a wound is an integral part of first aid treatment.
You never know when you or a loved one will suffer a wound that needs first aid.
Although deep wounds that bleed profusely need immediate emergency medical care, most minor cuts and wounds can be managed and bandaged at home.
Once you stop the bleeding and clean the wound, bandaging is actually a fairly simple procedure.
Bandages have three purposes: to keep wounds clear of infection, to contain bleeding, and to provide additional protection and support. Sterile gauze is preferable, but in an emergency just about anything will make a good bandage: scarves, T-shirts, socks, sheets, stockings, even a belt.
Bandaging a deep wound requires more than simply sticking a Band-Aid over the cut and hoping for the best. Deep wounds require bandages that are administered after a wound is cleaned and treated at the hospital.
Follow these ways to apply a bandage to the wounds using a spiral technique:
1. Use a pressure bandage.
For severe cuts and bruises, use a pressure bandage.
The pressure bandage is a long gauze with a thick gauze near one end.
Place the filled gauze over the wound and wrap the strip around it to apply pressure and hold it in place.
This is best used to prevent heavy bleeding caused by wide cutting or wear.
You can use tape to hold the ends of the gauze in place.
2. Use a doughnut bandage.
You can use these bandages for puncture wounds.
If your wound contains foreign material, such as glass fragments, wood chips or metal pieces, you need to use a donut bandage.
The donut bandage is a thick “O” bandage that relieves the pressure around the pierced object or deep puncture wounds.
Leave the pierced object in place (do not try to pull it out!) and place a bandage around it.
Then, it is fixed with a sticky gauze band or gauze wrapped around the edge of the donut.
Do not wrap any gauze or tape around the center of the ring where the puncture is located.
You can make your own doughnut bandage by rolling a triangle bandage/sling into a tight, snakelike coil, then making a loop the size required to support the impaled object. (Loop it around a finger, fingers or hand as a mold.)
Then take the loose, coiled ends of the bandage and lace them though your loop, around the outer side, and back through the loop.
Tuck the tips of the bandage back into the doughnut shaped structure to secure them.
In this way, you can make support structures for a wide range of injuries.
3. Use a triangle bandage.
To ensure dislocation or fracture, triangular bandages are the ideal choice.
This small-looking bandage unfolds into a large triangular bandage.
It is used by folding it into a shape and then using it to support broken or dislocated bones.
Fold the triangle into a rectangle and tie it in a ring to create a sling.
Or, you can wrap it around the splint/bone to provide support.
The use of a triangular bandage can vary with injury, so use it with caution.
4. Use gauze rolls.
To pack a second degree burn, use a gauze roll. Second-degree burns cover areas over 3 inches above, blistering, redness, swelling, and pain.
Although you should not try bandages for third degree burns, you should use a gauze bandage for second degree burns.
The sterile gauze was loosely wrapped around the wound and secured with tape.
Gauze will help stop irritants and infections without cutting off circulation or putting pressure on burns.
5. Use a tensor bandage.
Tension bandages are ideal for deep or accidental amputations.
The tension bandage is made of a thick elastic material and helps to apply heavy pressure to severe bleeding.
If you have a severe or accidental amputation, remove as much blood as possible and apply a thick layer of sterile gauze.
A tension bandage is wrapped around the gauze to fix it and apply pressure to help reduce bleeding.
l Before bandaging, try to place the injured area above the heart as this will reduce blood flow and reduce the risk of shock.
This also makes the tensor easier to apply.
Tips
Most wounds that need stitches should be treated within six to eight hours after the injury to reduce the risk of infection.
Particularly dirty wounds may not be stitched in order to avoid the risk of infection.
Keep in mind that while cosmetic results are important, it’s not the primary consideration for wound repair. Healing without infection is.
Skin wounds most likely to get infected are puncture wounds — usually caused by a sharp pointed object entering the skin, such as needles, nails, knives, and teeth.
Warning
Avoid coming in contact with the injured person’s blood to prevent being infected by it. Always use latex gloves if they’re available.
Tetanus shot should be obtained every 10 years.
Tetanus is a serious bacterial infection that affects your nervous system.
It causes painful muscle contractions of your jaw and neck muscles and interferes with your ability to breathe.
Bleeding that is difficult to control should be brought to medical attention.
If you are looking for such a bandage for a first aid kit, just contact us for more details.