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Bandaging Wounds

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.

Before You Put the Band-Aid On

Never wrap a bandage too tightly. You want to keep bleeding in check and protect the wound, but you don't want to stop circulation or cause irritating chafing! If the wound is on an arm or leg, check circulation by making sure fingers or toes stay warm and pink. If they become cold or blue, it's a sign there's a circulation problem. Periodically check the patient's pulse just to make sure everything's okay.

Bandaging Head Wounds

If a wound affects the scalp, the bandage should be made by tying a kerchief on the head and knotting it in the back.

  1. After putting on your protective gloves, stopping any bleeding, and cleaning the wound, fold a large bandanna-sized cloth into a triangle.
  2. Place the bandage on the injured person's head, with the tip at the back.
  3. Bring the two ends across the head, just above the ears and cross them in back.
  4. Bring the two ends back to the center of the forehead. Tie ends together.
  5. Tuck hem of bandage snugly under wrap.
Bandages for large head wounds and forehead wounds.
Bandages for large head wounds and
forehead wounds.

If a wound only affects the forehead, put a square of sterile gauze pad over the wound. Then wrap a sterile gauze bandage around the head, “sweatband” style. Circle the head at least three times to keep the dressing underneath in place. Cut and use adhesive tape to attach the ends, or tie them with a firm knot. You can also use a large piece of cloth, wrapping it several times around the head. Tie the ends in place above the eyes in the middle of the forehead.

To bandage an ear or cheek wound, start by wrapping
To bandage an ear or cheek wound, start by wrapping
"toothache" style. Then cross the ends on one
side of the head and tie on the other side.

Ears and cheeks require a bandage that is more like an “old-fashioned toothache” style. These steps teach you how to apply such a bandage.

Ouch!

Do not use this bandage style if the injured person has a jaw problem or if he or she is vomiting. It can cause suffocation!

  1. Place the long, thick bandage under the chin.
  2. Pull the ends up over the ears and cheeks, covering the treated wound.
  3. Cross the ends on one side, just above the ear.
  4. Wrap the two ends in the opposite direction, making a “cross” by encircling the forehead and back of the head.
  5. Tie ends where the “cross” meets.

Wrapping Knee and Leg Wounds

Wrap the knee and upper leg.
Wrap the knee and upper leg.

To make a bandage that won't come apart on the knee or leg, follow these steps:

  1. Clean and dress the wound while wearing protective gloves.
  2. Bend the knee unless it causes pain. Then place the middle of your wide, long cloth at the underside of the knee joint (and over any dressing).
  3. Wrap the cloth, with opposite ends crossing, over the knee and the upper or lower leg (depending on the location of the wound).
  4. Tie ends into a knot.
  5. Secure the bandage with adhesive tape or safety pins.

Follow these steps to apply a bandage to the leg using a spiral technique:

  1. After you clean the wound and apply an antiseptic, place one end of a long, wide cloth on the outer side of the leg. Secure it with adhesive tape.
  2. Twirl the bandage around the leg until you've covered the wound and dressing and the entire wound is protected.
  3. Secure the loose end with tape or safety pin to keep in place.

Covering Arms and Elbows

Bandaging an arm or elbow is very much like bandaging a knee or a leg. Once you've cleaned and dressed the wound with an antiseptic cream, follow these steps:

  1. Bend the elbow you're wrapping.
  2. Place the center of the cloth in the crook of the arm.
  3. Circle the two ends around the upper or lower arm (depending on the location of the wound). Then knot and tie it.

You can also use the “spiral” technique for an arm. To do so, anchor one end of the cloth to the outside of the arm with tape, and then wrap the other end around the arm's wound, over and over. Secure the other end with adhesive tape or a safety pin.

Bandages for Wrists and Ankles

Wrap the knee and upper leg.
Wrap the knee and upper leg.

Think of an ice skater performing a figure-eight. That same twisting technique is effective for bandaging wrists and ankles. Here's how you wrap a wrist (after cleaning the wound).

  1. Tape one end of a long, clean cloth or gauze roll to the palm of the injured hand.
  2. Roll the gauze or cloth two or three times around the palm of the hand.
  3. Bring the gauze or cloth across the palm of the hand and then in-between the thumb and first finger.
  4. Pull the gauze diagonally across the outside of the hand to the wrist.
  5. Circle the wrist two or three times with the cloth.
  6. Repeat steps 1–5 until the wound and dressing are covered. Then secure the bandage at the wrist with adhesive tape or a safety pin.

Follow these steps to use the same technique for wrapping an ankle:

Bandage the instep and then the ankle.
Bandage the instep and then the ankle.

  1. Tape one end of a long, clean cloth or gauze roll to the instep of the injured person's foot.
  2. Roll the gauze or cloth two or three times around the foot, moving from the instep to the back of foot, and from the back of foot to the instep.
  3. Then bring the cloth up across the front of the foot and around the ankle.
  4. Repeat this five to seven times.
  5. Add one final circle around the ankle.
  6. Secure at the ankle with adhesive tape or a safety pin.

Bandaging the Back and Neck

When someone suffers an injury to the back or neck, it's more important to keep him or her immobile than anything else. But sometimes that's not possible. Maybe the victim is face down in water and cannot breathe. Maybe he is vomiting and needs to have his head tilted. Maybe this person is bleeding profusely.

As is true of grammar, there are always exceptions to the rules. In those situations when bandaging a back or neck wound is necessary, follow these steps:

  1. Move the injured person as little as possible.
  2. If cleaning and treating a wound is sufficient to stop the bleeding, simply put a loose cloth over the treatment. It will provide protection without adding possible trauma.
  3. If an injured person feels a tingling in her limbs or cannot move, it's possible that she might have broken bones. In this case, immobilize the head, neck, and back area.
  4. If the injured person is having difficulty breathing, very gently lift his or her head slightly and place a pillow underneath. This will help clear air passageways.
  5. Keep bandages simple. Use a “spiral” technique or cover the area and tape it down with some adhesive—just tight enough to stop bleeding.
  6. Keep checking the injured person's pulse. If it starts feeling weak, loosen the bandages!

Wrapping Fingers and Toes

To bandage a finger or toe, first roll the gauze up and down, and then wrap the gauze around the digit. Finally, knot the bandage to complete the process.
To bandage a finger or toe, first roll
the gauze up and down, and then wrap
the gauze around the digit. Finally, knot
the bandage to complete the process.
Before You Put the Band-Aid On

A splint immobilizes an injury to prevent further damage and to help promote healing. If a plastic or wooden brace is not readily available, the next best splint for a finger is the adjacent finger! Just be sure to place sufficient padding between the fingers before gently wrapping the fingers together.

Bandaging wounded fingers or toes is just like bandaging any other part of the body but with smaller actions and smaller pieces of cloth. It also requires a bit more dexterity and it would be a good idea if you practice on a (willing) friend or family member before an emergency arises. After you clean the wound, follow these steps to wrap a finger or toe:

  1. Using a long roll of narrow gauze or a strip of cloth, place one end at the base of the finger or toe.
  2. Hold the strip down with your thumb as you roll up one side of the finger or toe and down the other side.
  3. Hold the other side down with your third finger (or whatever fingers you feel comfortable using) as you roll the tape up and over with the other hand.
  4. After wrapping several layers of tape up and down the finger or toe, move the gauze roll to the side and begin to circle the finger or toe.
  5. Knot the gauze at the base of the finger or toe as shown here.
You can adapt a finger or toe as a splint.
You can adapt a finger or toe as a splint.

A finger or toe bandage can also act as a splint in a pinch. Once you've bandaged the finger or toe (up and down and side to side), pull the gauze roll down to your wrist or up to your ankle. Wrap around the wrist or ankle, and then pull back up and around the finger (or down and around the toe). Repeat several times and tie at the wrist or ankle. The following drawing illustrates how to wrap the hand in this way.

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Excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to First Aid Basics © 1996 by Stephen J. Rosenberg, M.D. and Karla Dougherty. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

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