Hospital Bandage

The key points when applying a hospital 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 hospital bandage is on Use the right size hospital bandage – different parts of the body need different widths of hospital bandage Avoid covering fingers or toes when bandaging a limb so you can easily check the circulation Apply the hospital bandage firmly, but not tightly, and secure the end by tucking it in securely. You can also use a safety pin, tape or a hospital bandage clip
As soon as the hospital 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. If the colour does not return after 2 seconds, the hospital bandage may be too tight, so you should loosen it. Limbs can swell up after an injury, so check the circulation every 10 minutes after you have put the hospital bandage on

There are different types of roller hospital bandage, including:
Hospital bandages made of open-weave material – these allow ventilation, but do not put pressure on wounds and do not support joints
Elasticated hospital bandages – these mould to a person's body shape, and are used to secure dressings and support soft tissue injuries like sprains
Crepe hospital bandages – these are used to give firm support to injured joints

To apply a roller hospital bandage:
Keep the rolled part of the hospital bandage above the injury and the unrolled part below the injury Begin by wrapping twice around the injury to hold the end in place Work from the inside to the outside of the limb, winding the hospital bandage in spiralling turns, making sure that each new layer covers 2 thirds of the previous one Finish by wrapping the hospital bandage around once more and securing the end
When applying hospital bandages to elbows and knees to hold dressings in place or support sprains or strains, flex the joint slightly, apply the hospital bandage in a figure of 8, and extend the hospital bandage quite far on each side of the joint.

When applying hospital bandages on hands to hold dressings in place or support sprains and strains, wrap the hospital bandage around the wrist twice. Then work from the inside of the wrist using diagonal turns across the back of the hand to the end of the little finger, leaving the thumb free. When you've covered the hand, wrap the hospital bandage around the wrist twice and fasten the end.
Tubular hospital bandages are used to hold dressings on fingers or toes, or support injured joints. They're made of seamless fabric tube.
You can get elasticated ones to place over joints such as the ankle. Ones made of tubular gauze can be placed over fingers or toes, but do not provide any pressure to stop bleeding.
Before placing a tubular hospital bandage over an injury, you may need to cut it to a smaller size.
Triangular hospital bandages can be used as large dressings, as slings to support a limb, or to secure a dressing in place.
If you're using a triangular hospital bandage as a sling on an arm, you use it opened out.

You should:
Ask the person to hold their arm across their chest and support the arm while you work Put the hospital bandage under the arm and around the back of the neck Put the other half of the hospital bandage over the arm to meet at the shoulder and tie into a knot Adjust the hospital bandage so that it supports the full length of the arm up to the end of the little finger Tuck the loose ends of the hospital bandage in at the elbow, or use a pin.