Dressing and Bandage
Introduction:
It is a very necessary topic of daily general public use. It is very common to get injured in day to day modern life of machine age. Our vehicles are also machines & we can get injured easily due to accidents caused by our own or someone else’s mistake. Injuries can not only be caused by operating some machine, but also by a simple act like slipping or falling. Therefore we must know how to treat all injuries. A minor injury can be treated by dressing at house, and almost all open injuries should be covered by Dressing.
Dressing
Dressing is a treatment done on the wound. It may be just an application of some antiseptic on the wound, application of an adhesive first aid dressing to cover the wound or it may be application of ointment on wound & then covering it. We will discuss all one by one
Adhesive Dressings
Many readymade colours, shapes & sizes of First Aid Dressing (FAD) are available. We can just choose one & apply on small wounds after cleaning the wound with some antiseptic like dilute Nuvlon-D. Special type of FAD is available for finger tip, knuckles and for joint injuries.
Gauze Non Adherent Pad Dressings:
First clean the wound with mild antiseptic like Nuvlon-D and cover it with sterile gauze or non adherent pad. Then apply a roller bandage, Elasticated tubular net bandage or wrap a cohesive bandage on it. Change the dressing every 24 or 48 hours depending on the size of wound & exudates present at site
Bandage:
Bandages are mostly of the following 5 Types:
1. Roller Bandages
Roller Bandage is made of Gauze or thin muslin cloth rolled into a roll from 2.5cm to 20cm size. It is the cheapest way to keep the dressing at its place. It is useful for limbs mostly.
2. Elastic roller Bandage
It is useful for bleeding wounds where some pressure is required or where there is little swelling/oedema in the limb.
3. Contour Bandage:
It is very easy to apply. More Comfortable & light weight & economical also.
4. Tubular Bandages:
Where roller bandagers is not suitable like finger, forehead we can choose Tubular Bandage especially the Elastic Tubular net Bandage which is now available in India. Cohesive Bandage is also very easy to apply & comfortable & economical also.
5. Triangular Bandages:
This is applied to support the after injury to take the load of arm or to keep the dressing its place.
6. Cohesive Bandage:
is a revolution in the Bandaging Technology. It is elastic. It is terable. It does not stick to body or hair, so removal is painless. It can be used to immobilize the body parts. It can be used to keep the dressing in its place with only 2 rounds of bandage. Cohesive Bandage can be used in place of Elastic Adhesive as well as surgical & non woven Surgical Tape
Basic Bandaging Forms:
Each Bandaging technique consists of various basic forms of bandaging. The following five basic form of bandaging can be used to apply most types of bandages:
1. Circular Bandaging:
It is the most common type. It is used to keep the dressing in its place on arm, leg or chest etc. 2 or 3 rounds are enough. The last end is to be taped, clipped or safety pin should be applied.
2. Spiral Bandaging:
is applied on limbs covering 33% to 50% width of the bandage’s previous wrap starting from thinner side & going to thicker side.
3. Figure of eight Bandaging:
It is used on joints where movement is not to be restricted. It is applied like the figure of eight, crossing each other at the side where joint is moved. It is used to bandage a fractured clavicle or knee joint.
4. Recurrent Bandaging:
here the successive turn of bandage is done partially over the preceding turn. It is used for blunt body parts. The bandage is applied repeatedly from one side across the top to other side across the top & to the other side of blunt body parts.
5. Reverse spiral Bandage:
Is the one where spiral bandage is folded back on itself after each turn.
6. Cohesive Bandage:
Only 2 to 3 turns are required one after the other for any purpose. It does not stick to skin or hair, so removal is painless.
Application Roller Bandages:
1. Select the appropriate bandage:
a. Use roller gauze bandage for injury in forearm, leg or thigh etc.
b. Use flexible roller for hand, wrist or elbow.
c. Use contour bandage to check bleeding or in sprains or amputation.
d. Kling type of bandage with& 3 layers is most comfortable, conformable & soft.
e. Cohesive bandage is applied 2 or 3 turns only on each other.
2. Select the appropriate width of bandage:
a. For thin body parts like fingers & fore arm 5cm will work better.
b. For thick parts like leg about 7.5cm should be used
c. For thigh, chest & abdomen 15cm should be used.
3. Prepare the Part to be bandaged:
a. Clean the wound & body parts where bandage is to be applied.
b. Keep the part in such a way that it should be easy for the doctor to apply & part should also not be required to be moved every time the bandage turn is given.
4. How to apply the bandage:
First give one wrap of the bandage in such a way that it covers the whole turn so as not to while tightening the bandage. Wrap the bandage in such a way that it covers the entire body area where applied. Cohesive Bandage is easiest to apply. Just give turns & tear with hand. It is economical, saves time & is not messy. It is also painless to remove.
5. Apply the bandage wrap to the injury:
Circular wrap is best to stop bleeding & to cover the wound. But cohesive bandage is best because simple 2 to 3 turns can cover all the bandaging requirements.
6. Circulation Check:
he elastic bandage & Crepe Bandage, especially the rubber bandage can become more tight and may occlude flow directed to the part bandaged, therefore we must feel the pulse in wrist or in ankle. If pulse is not properly checked it may lead to stopper of blood circulation & gangrene of distal part.
7. Elevation of Limbs:
To avoid oedema in the limb it should be elevated.
