The Rules for application of bandages
- Select a bandage of the proper size.
- Put the patient in a comfortable position.
- Support the injured area while bandaging.
- Face the patient while applying the bandage, except when applying it to the head.
- Hold the roll of the roller bandage in the right band when applying bandage on the left side and in the left hand when applying it to the right side.
- Put some cotton wool on the part to be bandaged so that the bandage does not slip or cause cutting into the skin underneath.
- Hold the end of the roller bandage over the outer aspect of the injured area and wind the bandage around the part twice to fix it.
- Wind the bandage from below upwards and from inside outwards.
- Cover 2/3 of the previous loop of the bandage by the next one, while covering a large area by winding the roller bandage around the part.
- Do not bandage the part too tightly or too loosely.
- At the completion, fix the end of the bandage with a safety pin, a piece of sticking plaster, or by dividing the terminal portion of the bandage longitudinally and typing the two ends around the bandaged part.
A roller bandage may be applied as a simple spiral, a figure –of eight, a reverse spiral or spica.
- Simple spiral: the bandaging is done in a spiral from over limb.
- Figure –of – eight: the bandage is applied obliquely up and down alternately so that loops appear like the figure of eight.
- Reverse spiral: this is a modified spiral in which the roll is reversed downwards on itself at each round. This is used for legs and forearms where the thickness of the part varies.
- Spica: this is a modified form of figure – or – eight used for bandaging the hip, shoulder, groin and thumb.
