Learning First Aid Basics – Dressing Wounds and Bandaging
Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay
This post may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure here.
The human body is prone to injuries, trauma, and illness. We do not know when an injury might occur or someone around us. Therefore, it is good to have some first aid skills to take care of dire situations. This will help keep the situation from worsening until the individual can obtain medical help.
Importance of Learning First Aid Basics
Saves lives: When you are trained in first aid administration, you can take immediate action when someone around you gets injured or falls sick. For example, teachers should have basic first aid skills to help their students.
Students are prone to getting cuts and broken limbs due to their dynamic nature. Such a teacher should dress and bandage the cut to prevent infection and blood loss. They should use dressing tape to hold the bandage, such as mefix tape, which ensures water and air permeability in the affected area.
Relieves pain: Sometimes, the affected person may only require a quick rub or applying an ice pack. An urgent rush to the emergency room may be unnecessary. In such a scenario, it is more reasonable to administer first aid. A person with basic knowledge of first aid can help minimize the pain through simple procedures.
Essential Wounds and Bandaging Skills to Know
Sterile Wound Dressings
Wound dressings are available in a sterile packet. A person should open the package with gloved or clean hands. Do not remove the dressing from the box until you can cover the wound.
If you are dressing to control bleeding, ensure that the dressing is bulky to apply enough pressure on the injured area. You can find dressing made of combined cellulose or wool, covered in a woven fabric.
When dealing with severe bleeding or crater wounds, look for BP or BPC dressings. They are available as a combination of both dressing and bandage.
Only use sterile gauze squares to clean a wound. Do not use cotton wool as its fibers might stick onto the wound.
Sterile Non-Adherent Dressings
Minor wounds are dressed with very light dressings to aid healing, and they usually have a non-adherent surface. This is a surface covered on one or both sides with a perforated plastic film. The perforations keep the wound dry by allowing fluids to get into an absorbent layer.
Other non-adherent dressing types have a unique synthetic coating to prevent sticking to the wound surface. Always place the non-adherent layer against the wound. Non-adherent dressings are used to dress extensive surface wounds such as burns or grazes (abrasions).
Improvised Dressings
In emergency cases, you can improvise a dressing from various materials. You can use a bundle of facial tissues to make a bulky pad to control bleeding. Alternatively, use any clean but non-fluffy cloth.
For a minor scald or burn, you can use a piece of kitchen wrap to ensure that it’s clean. But, if the burn is intense, only use sterile coverings to avoid infection. Continue cooling the area until sterile dressing is obtainable.
*This article is based on personal suggestions and/or experiences and is for informational purposes only. This should not be used as professional advice. Please consult a professional where applicable.
