Bandaging a wound can involve either a wound covering bandage or a wound pressure bandage.
- The purpose of a wound covering bandage [Figure 3] is to cover the wound and absorb drainage.
- For the layer in contact with the wound, sterile hydrophilic gauze is used (5 × 5 or 10 × 10 cm).
- White cotton pads are placed on top of the sterile gauze to act as an absorbing layer, and the entire bandage is fixed with plasters, hydrophilic surgical bandage (100% cotton), or a fixative net bandage.
- Hydrolast is a fixative bandage that conforms better because it is slightly elastic. It is 42% cotton and 58% polyamide.
Figure 3
- The purpose of the wound pressure bandage is to cover the wound [Figure 4], absorb drainage, and close bleeding vessels (particularly arteries) by applying pressure.
- It is a temporary bandage that serves during a transition period until adequate help (suturing of the wound or blood vessels) is available.
- To create a wound pressure bandage – a hard object or a substantial amount of synthetic wadding is placed on top of the absorbing layer.
- The entire bandage is fixed with a non-elastic bandage (tricot bandage). For the same reason, these are also suitable for use as a pressure bandage (with synthetic wadding) for contusions or a sprained wrist, ankle, or knee.
Figure 4
Based on this information, the following bandaging materials should be available in every general practice [Figure 5]:
- Sterile gauze – 5 x 5 cm, 10 x 10 cm.
- Paraffin gauze (less absorbent and less adherent to the wound bed than hydrophilic gauze).
- Tricot bandages – 6 cm (wrist), 8 cm (ankle), 10 cm (knee).
- Hydrophilic bandages or Hydrolast – 4 cm (finger bandage), 6 cm (hand/wrist bandage), 8 cm (ankle/foot bandage), 10 cm (knee bandage).
- Synthetic wadding.
- Waxed cotton wadding.
- Wound plasters (wound-covering function).
- Fixation net bandage.
- Adhesive plasters.
Figure 5