L 10

• Dressings


  A protective covering put on a wound to help control bleeding, absorb blood from the wound, and prevent further contamination

  
• Dressings


  • Sterile, or as clean as possible
  • Large enough to cover the wound
  • Highly absorbent
  • Compressible, thick and soft
  • Non-stick and lint-free to reduce the possibility of sticking to the wound

  
• Putting on dressings


  1. Prevent further contamination

  2. Extend the dressing beyond the edges of the wound

  3. If blood soaks through a dressing, leave it in place and cover with more dressings

  4. Secure a dressing with tape or bandages
• Bandages


  Any material that is used to hold a dressing in place, maintain pressure over a wound, support a limb or joint, immobilize parts of the body or secure a splint

  
• Using bandages


  1. Apply firmly to make sure bleeding is controlled or immobilization is achieved

  2. Check the circulation below the injury before and after applying a bandage, you may have applied it too tightly or swelling may have made it too tight

  
• Triangular bandage


  May be used as a whole cloth, a broad bandage, or a narrow bandage
• Forming a broad bandage


  1. Fold the point to the centre of the base with the point slightly beyond the base

  2. Fold in half again from the top to the base
• Forming a narrow bandage


  Fold a broad bandage in half again from the top to the base

  
• Reef knot


  The knot of choice for tying bandages and slings - lies flat, does not slip, and is easy to untie
• Tying a reef knot


  1. Take one end of a bandage in each hand

  2. Lay the end from the right hand over the one from the left hand and pass it under to form a half-knot

  3. The end now in the left hand should be laid over the one from the right and passed under to form another half-knot

  4. Tighten by pulling one loop against the other or by pulling only on the ends
• Tying a figure-8


  1. Position the centre of a narrow or broad triangular bandage under the ankle (or both ankles if tying the feet together)

  2. Cross the ends over top the ankles, and bring the ends around the feet and tie off
• Roller bandage


  Used to hold dressings in place or to secure splints
• Putting on a roller bandage


  1. Start with a few anchor turns at the narrow part of the limb, then continue wrapping the bandage, overlapping each turn by one quarter to one third of the bandage's width

  2. Make full-width overlaps with the final two or three turns and secure with a safety pin, adhesive tape or by cutting and tying the bandage
• Sling


  Can be easily improvised with a scarf, belt, necktie or other item that can go around the casualty's neck
• Putting on an arm sling

  1. Support the forearm of the injured limb across the body

  2. Place an open triangular bandage between the forearm and the chest so the point extends beyond the elbow and the base is straight up and down

  3. Bring the upper end around the back of the neck to the front of the injured side

  4. Bring the lower end of the bandage over the hand and forearm and tie off on the injured side in the hollow of the collarbone

  5. Twist the point into a "pigtail" at the elbow and tuck it inside the sling

  6. Adjust the sling so you can see the fingernails
• Putting on a St. John tubular sling


  1. Support the forearm of the injured side diagonally across the chest, the fingers pointing toward the opposite shoulder

  2. Place a triangular bandage over the forearm and hand with the point extending beyond the elbow and the upper end over the shoulder on the uninjured side

  3. Ease the base of the bandage under the hand, forearm and elbow

  4. Gather the bandage at the elbow by twisting it and bring the lower end across the back and over the shoulder on the uninjured side

  5. Gently adjust the height of the arm as you tie off the ends of the bandage so the knot rests in the natural hollow above the collarbone
• Wound


  Any damage to the soft tissues of the body, usually resulting in the escape of blood from the blood vessels into surrounding tissues, body cavities or out of the body
• Open wound


  A break in the outer layer of the skin
• Closed wound


  No break in the outer layer of skin but there is internal bleeding
• Contusions or bruises


  Closed wounds where the tissues under the skin are damaged and bleed into surrounding tissues, causing discolouration
• Abrasions or scrapes


  Open wounds where the outer protective layer of skin and the tiny underlying blood vessels are damaged, but the deeper layer of the skin is still intact
• Incisions


  Clean cuts caused by something sharp such as a knife
• Lacerations


  Tears in the skin and underlying tissue with jagged and irregular edges
• Puncture wounds


  Open wounds caused by blunt or pointed instruments that may have a small opening, but often penetrate deep into the tissue
• Avulsions


  Injuries that leave a piece of skin or other tissue either partially or completely torn away from the body
• Amputations


  Partial or complete loss of a body part