A bandage is a piece of material used either to support a medical device such as a dressing or splint, or on its own to

provide support to or to restrict the movement of a part of the body. When used with a dressing, the dressing is applied
directly on a wound, and a bandage used to hold the dressing in place. Other bandages are used without dressings, such
as elastic bandages that are used to reduce swelling or provide support to a sprained ankle. Tight bandages can be used
to slow blood flow to an extremity, such as when a leg or arm is bleeding heavily.

Bandages are available in a wide range of types, from generic cloth strips to specialized shaped bandages designed for a
specific limb or part of the body. Bandages can often be improvised as the situation demands, using clothing, blankets or
other material. In American English, the word bandage is often used to indicate a small gauze dressing attached to an
adhesive bandage.

Main Types of Bandages

The four main types of bandages are gauze, compression, triangular and tube.

Gauze bandage (common gauze roller bandage)

The most common type of bandage is the gauze bandage, a simple woven strip of material, or a woven strip of material
with a Telfa absorbent barrier to prevent adhering to wounds. A gauze bandage can come in any number of widths and
lengths, and can be used for almost any bandage application, including holding a dressing in place.

compression bandage

The term 'compression bandage' describes a wide variety of bandages with many different applications.

Short stretch compression bandages are applied to a limb (usually for treatment of lymphedema or venous ulcers. This
type of bandage is capable of shortening around the limb after application and is therefore not exerting ever-increasing
pressure during inactivity. This dynamic is called resting pressure and is considered safe and comfortable for long-term
treatment. Conversely, the stability of the bandage creates a very high resistance to stretch when pressure is applied
through internal muscle contraction and joint movement. This force is called working pressure.

Long stretch compression bandages have long stretch properties, meaning their high compressive power can be easily
adjusted. However, they also have a very high resting pressure and must be removed at night or if the patient is in a
resting position.

Triangular bandage

Also known as a cravat bandage, a triangular bandage is a piece of cloth put into a right-angled triangle, and often
provided with safety pins to secure it in place. It can be used fully unrolled as a sling, folded as a normal bandage, or for
specialized applications, as on the head. One advantage of this type of bandage is that it can be makeshift and made
from a fabric scrap or a piece of clothing. The Boy Scouts popularized use of this bandage in many of their first aid
lessons, as a part of the uniform is a "neckerchief" that can easily be folded to form a cravat.

Tube bandage

A tube bandage is applied using an applicator, and is woven in a continuous circle. It is used to hold dressings or splints
on to limbs, or to provide support to sprains and strains, and it stops bleeding.

Adhesive bandage
protects the wound and scab from friction, bacteria, damage, and dirt. Thus, the healing process of the body is
less disturbed. Some of the dressings have antiseptic properties. An additional function is to hold the two cut
ends of the skin together to make the healing process faster.
Notable brands
Band-Aid
Curad
Elastoplast
Nexcare

An adhesive bandage is a small, flexible sheet of material which is sticky on one side, with a smaller, non-sticky,
absorbent pad stuck to the sticky side. The pad is placed against the wound, and overlapping edges of the sticky material
are smoothed down so they stick to the surrounding skin. Adhesive bandages are generally packaged in a sealed, sterile
bag, with a backing covering the sticky side; the backing is removed as the bandage is applied. They come in a variety of
sizes and shapes.
The backing and bag are often made of coated paper, but may be made of plastic.

The adhesive sheet is usually a woven fabric, plastic (PVC, polyethylene or polyurethane), or latex strip. It may or may
not be waterproof; if it is airtight, the bandage is an occlusive dressing. The adhesive is commonly an acrylate, including
methacrylates and epoxy diacrylates (which are also known as vinyl resins).[4]

The absorbent pad is often made of cotton, and there is sometimes a thin, porous-polymer coating over the pad, to keep
it from sticking to the wound. The pad may also be medicated with an antiseptic solution. In some bandages, the pad is
made of a water-absorbing hydrogel. This is especially common in dressings used on blisters, as the gel acts as a cushion.
[medical citation needed]

Many people have allergies to some of these materials, particularly latex and some adhesives.[5]

Liquid bandage

A liquid bandage is a colorless adherent material that can be sprayed or painted directly on a wound.
It reduces pain by covering nerve endings and helps wounds heal by maintaining a proper moisture
balance and keeping bacteria and debris out that develops polymer systems for wound care.

The bandages work by sealing the wound until the damaged area heals and the surrounding skin and
bandage slough off. How long that takes depends on the type of liquid bandage and the depth of the
wound.

Liquid bandages can stick better than plastic or fabric adhesive bandages to many hard-to-bandage
areas, such as knuckles and between fingers. Wash the dishes. Go swimming. A liquid bandage
won’t fall off.

Two general categories of liquid bandages exist. Skin protectants are over-the-counter (OTC) gels
and sprays that can shield everything from superficial scrapes to large, chronic bedsores. The second
category of liquid bandages is called suture replacements or tissue adhesives. Professional health
care providers use this type of liquid bandage to join together more serious skin lacerations. Doctors
and veterinarians may also use these materials to repair some cuts to internal organs or to close
surgical incisions. Suture replacements are less traumatic for patients than staples or stitches
because they do not require anesthesia or a return trip for removal.
A major difference between the two categories of liquid bandages is that suture replacements can be
used on a bleeding wound, whereas skin protectants don’t successfully cover cuts that are actively
oozing.