Dressing

and
bandaging
wounds
A dressing is used to protect a wound and prevent
infection, but also to allow healing. A dressing
should be large enough to totally cover the
wound, with a safety margin of about 2.5 cm on all
sides beyond the wound. A sterile dressing may
be used to control bleeding from a major wound
or to absorb any discharge from a minor wound.
Dressings vary greatly in nature and size, so it is
important to select the correct dressing for use on
a specific wound. A sterile dressing which is past
its expiry date should NOT be used.
Wounds that are deep or that bleed profusely will need
emergency medical treatment. As a first aid, wounds
should be handled and managed properly. To do this, a
dressing is used. A dressing is a sterile material used to
directly cover the wound. It can be made of cloth gauze,
or other fabrics.
Sterile is used to:
1. Control bleeding
2. Absorb fluids from the wounds; and
3. Prevent germs from entering the exposed area of
wound
There are two types of dressing:
1. Commercially prepared dressing – rolled gauze,
gauze pods or sheets, adhesive strips (Band-aid,
Mediplast, etc.), and cotton or synthetic wound pods.
2. Improvised dressing – any sterile and absorbent
material to stop the bleeding, or before dressing and
bandaging a wound, control the bleeding first. This
can be done by applying gentle pressure over the
wound. In most cases, the bleeding stops within 20-
30 minutes. Once you stop and clean the wound,
bandaging follows.
A bandage is used in combination with a
dressing where a wound is present. A roller
bandage is used to secure a dressing in
place. A triangular bandage is used as an
arm sling or as a pad to control bleeding. It
may also be used to support or immobilize
an injury to a bone or joint or as
improvised padding over a painful injury. A
tubular gauze bandage is used to retain a
dressing on a finger or toe.
The three major types of bandages are:
roller bandages, tubular bandages and
triangular bandages.
1. Roller bandage
or gauze is used to hold
a dressing in place on a
wound, maintain
pressure over a bulky
pad to control bleeding,
support an injured limb
or joint, and apply
pressure to a limb.
2. Tubular bandage
Or precast is used to
provide 360-degree
uniform compression
and support. It is slid
slowly over whatever
body part you are trying
to treat.
3. 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.
What are the techniques in bandaging and dressing
of wounds?
Begin by wrapping twice around the injury to hold
the end in place. Work up the limb, winding the
bandage in spiraling turns, making sure that each
new layer covers half of the previous one. Finish by
wrapping the bandage around once more and
securing the end.
You can also use a safety pin, tape or a bandage
clip. as soon as the bandage is on, ask if it feels too
tight and check the circulation by pressing on a
fingernail or a piece of skin until it turns pale.
The key points when applying a bandage are:
• make sure the person is comfortable and tell
them what you're doing
• work from the side of the injury so you do not
have to lean across their body
• keep the injured part of the body supported
in the position it'll be in when the bandage is
on
• use the right size bandage – different parts of
the body need different widths of bandage
• Wash hands and wear gloves
• Unwrap the dressing as close to the wound as
possible, be sure not to touch the wound
• Place the dressing over the wound
• Use a dressing that is large enough to extend at
least 1 inch beyond the edges of the wound
• If body tissue or organs are exposed, cover the
wound with a dressing that will stick
• Then secure the dressing with a bandage or
adhesive tape
Covering a break in the skin helps to control bleeding
and protect against infection. Dressings are pads of
gauze or cloth that can be placed directly against the
wound to absorb blood and other fluids. Cloth
bandages cover dressings and hold them in place.
• Gloved hand cleaning wound on forearm with soap
and water.
• Gloved hands placing bandage on wound on
forearm.
• Gloved hand securing bandage on forearm with
tape.
Step 1. Dress the wound
Put on gloves or use other protection to avoid
contact with the victim's blood. Clean the wound
with mild soap and water. Apply a small layer of
topical antibiotic if desired. Place a clean dressing
over the entire wound. Gauze dressings let in air
for faster healing. Nonstick dressings have a
special surface that won't cling to the wound. If
blood soaks through the dressing, place another
dressing over the first one.
Step 2. Cover the bandage Wrap roller gauze or cloth
strips over the dressing and around the wound several
times. Extend the bandage at least an inch beyond both
sides of the dressing. Don't wrap the bandage so tight
that it interferes with blood flow to healthy tissue.

Step 3. Secure the bandage

Tie or tape the bandage in place. Don't secure the
bandage so tight that fingers or toes become pale or
blue.
Step 4. Check circulation
Check circulation in the area below the bandage
after several minutes and again after several hours.
If circulation is poor, the skin may look pale or blue
or feel cold. Signs of poor circulation also include
numbness and tingling.
If circulation is reduced, loosen the bandage
immediately. If symptoms continue, seek medical
attention.
All wound require dressing and bandaging.
Dressing helps control bleeding, protect the
wound from further damage and prevent further
contamination. The initial dressing used to control
bleeding should be sterile. Otherwise, choose a
material that is as clean as possible. Cover them
entire wound with the dressing. Try to extend the
dressing material past the ends of the wound. Do
not remove a dressing once applied. If bleeding
continues, apply additional dressings over the old
ones.
The proper bandage properly applied can aid
materially in the recovery of a patient. A carelessly
or improperly applied bandage can cause
discomfort to the patient; in many instances it may
expose the wound to danger of infection; it may
even imperil the life of the patient. It is essential,
therefore, that all personnel of the Army Medical
Service become familiar with the various bandages
and be able to apply them properly. The following
discussion of bandaging will aid the student and
the teacher, but the technique of bandaging can be
mastered only by constant practice.
A bandage should never be applied directly over
a wound; it should be used only to hold in place
the dressing which covers a wound. A bandage
should be applied firmly and fastened securely. It
should not be applied so tightly that it stops
circulation or so loosely that it allows the dressing
to slip. If bandages work them- selves loose or
become unfastened, wounds may bleed, they may
become infected, and broken bones may become
further displaced. It is essential, therefore, that
bandages be properly applied and well secured.
Wound dressings will be in a sterile packet, which
should be opened carefully by a person with clean
or gloved hands. Then, to avoid contamination of
the sterile dressing.it is not removed from the
opened packet until the wound is ready to be
covered. Dressings used to control bleeding must
be bulky to ensure that adequate pressure is
applied over the injured area. The most common
dressing is made of combined wool or cellulose,
covered in a light cotton woven fabric, and these
are generally known as' combine dressings.
Some major wound dressings are labelled as BPC
or BP (because they are listed in the British
Pharmacopoeia) and consist of a sterile combine
dressing with attached bandage. They are ideal to
fill crater wounds or to control severe bleeding.
Bandages are great for providing an environment which
supports wound healing, as well as protection for the wound
from contamination and flies, absorption of wound discharge,
and reduction of limb swelling and limb movement. The
importance of effective wound care cannot be underestimated.
Wounds in complex patients and those that are poorly
managed can lead to the development of a chronic wound.
Remember, it is important to keep wounds clean, covered, and
dry to help prevent infection and to seek medical care for
infected wounds. Some organisms that cause infections are
resistant to a variety of antibiotics. Not properly caring for
these infections can have serious consequences.
- Alteyah Pilar
- Bong Reeve Flores
- Daryl Gil
- Elijah Villanueva
- Justin Carl Manamtam
- La Selle De Vera
- Maria Jessica Sudio
- Ramil Cabubas
- Tatiana Cez Arellano
- Charles Aquino