DRESSING AND
BANDAGING From a first aid perspective, keep dressing and bandaging as simple as possible. Use sterile dressings whenever possible since they are in direct contact with the wound. Cover the wound entirely to lower the patient’s risk of infection.
Most importantly, use common sense and the items you have available to you. Because of the unexpected nature of emergencies, it is important to realize that sometimes the ideal medical equipment may not be available. Although a sterile dressing is preferred, a clean towel or shirt will work in a pinch. It is more important to stop bleeding than have a beautiful dressing in place.
Dressings are the gauze or pads you use to cover the wound and stem the blood flow. Bandages are the things that hold dressings in place. Because a bandage is not in direct contact with the wound, it need only be clean rather than sterile. Ideal bandages are tape, cravats or towels cut into strips.
Only apply a bandage tightly enough to hold a dressing in place and stop the bleeding. If the dressing becomes soaked with blood, remove the bandage, add more dressings and reapply the bandage. The blood- soaked dressings are acting as an artificial clot so don’t remove or discard them. This will only add to the time until the bleeding stops.
In an attempt to prepare yourself for the unexpected, look around your environment right now. Determine what you could use for dressing and bandaging should an injury occur. Are there clean towels? Fabric that can be torn into strips? Perhaps a clean sweatshirt?
MUSCLE AND BONE
INJURIES The musculoskeletal system is comprised of bones, muscles, tendons, joints and ligaments. It is the framework for the human body. It not only allows for shape and movement, but provides a protective structure for the internal organs. Injuries to the musculoskeletal system are common in trauma and you should be on the lookout for them when performing your physical examination.
Bones and joints may become injured by direct force, indirect force or twisting force. Any one mechanism or a combination of several can cause damage. Injuries to muscle and bone are classified as open or closed, depending on whether or not the skin is broken. When trauma to the musculoskeletal system occurs, several different types of injuries may be present.
SPRAIN: A sprain is the stretching or tearing of the ligaments that attach bone to bone, such as a sprained ankle.
STRAIN: A strain is the stretching and subsequent damage of the muscles or tendons that attach muscles to bone.
FRACTURE: A fracture is an actual crack or break in a bone. Fractures can be categorized as open or closed.
Treatment
It is often difficult to tell the difference between these types of musculoskeletal injuries. Sprains, strains and fractures can present quite similarly and demand similar care. The patient may complain of the same symptoms with each injury. Pain at the injury site, swelling or deformity and lack of movement can indicate any or all of these musculoskeletal injuries.
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