# The scoop on Bandages



## micsaver (Oct 10, 2008)

I was looking at a BLS Jump bag on line and its contents. Part of the the contest list was:   

 2 Kerlix (4-1/2") 
 2 Gauze Rolls (3" NS) 
 20 Sterile Dressings (4" x 4") 

What is the difference between "Kerlix" bandages and the Gauze Rolls? Is it simply that the Kerlix bandages are sterile? 

1 Petroleum Gauze (3" x 9") 
Would you only use this on a SCW?

Sorry if my questions seem stupid. I'm starting to realize how much my EMT class skimmed a lot of important things and basically just taught us to memorize the practical list and pass the written. The more I learn ... the more I realize I don't know.


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## TransportJockey (Oct 10, 2008)

Kerlix vs Gauze rolls.. I'm assuming that sterility and size are different.

as for an occlusive dressing (AKA Petroleum Gauze) is taught here to be used on any wounds on the chest of upper back that penetrate


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## Hastings (Oct 10, 2008)

jtpaintball70 said:


> Kerlix vs Gauze rolls.. I'm assuming that sterility and size are different.
> 
> as for an occlusive dressing (AKA Petroleum Gauze) is taught here to be used on any wounds on the chest of upper back that penetrate



We don't use it. I hear it's good for penis circumcisions though.

Most commonly used for sucking chest wounds though, yes.


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## abriggs (Oct 10, 2008)

jtpaintball70 said:


> Kerlix vs Gauze rolls.. I'm assuming that sterility and size are different.
> 
> as for an occlusive dressing (AKA Petroleum Gauze) is taught here to be used on any wounds on the chest of upper back that penetrate



So, it wraps around the whole body?


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## TransportJockey (Oct 10, 2008)

abriggs said:


> So, it wraps around the whole body?



Nope, you put pieces on different wounds.


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## micsaver (Oct 10, 2008)

Hastings said:


> We don't use it. I hear it's good for penis circumcisions though.



So why don't you use it, and why would it be good for circumcisions as opposed to general gauze? Or did I just fall into a joke that went right over my head? :glare:


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## Hastings (Oct 10, 2008)

The three injuries I've been taught to treat with an Occlusive dressing are sucking chest wounds, tension pneumothorax, and abdominal eviscerations.


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## micsaver (Oct 10, 2008)

occlusive dressing should probably be used on a neck wound I would think.


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## mycrofft (Oct 10, 2008)

*OK. It's fun to pass on the little things.*

Kerlix brand is an ELASTIC cotton only gauze bandage which will adhere to itself a little. A plain gauze "roller" is inelastic gauze and much cheaper. Either can be ordered in bulk or indiv. sterile. The standard for kits is the individual sterile. (Me, I like MediRip or related elastic non-gauze bandage witch REALLY sticks to itself and does NOT need scissors).
Vaseline gauze....open, use sterile inner aspect of wrapper to occlude sucking chest wounds. Light vaseline gauze on fire as a firestarter. OK some folks use them as dressings for burns long after the debridement etc has started. Like Xeroform, except that is muslin with brominated vaseline on it (hence the yellow color, like the brominated vegetable oil in Mt Dew).
Occlusive dressing on evisc? Hmmm...I wa tauight sterile normal saline bulk dressing with dry overdressing. Been a while. GOing to go into shock either way.


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## Code 3 (Oct 10, 2008)

mycrofft said:


> Hmmm...I wa tauight sterile normal saline bulk dressing with dry overdressing. Been a while. GOing to go into shock either way.



Abdominal eviseracerations are treated with moist sterile dressings like you mentioned with an occlusive dressing on top to cover it. But it's all depending on local protocol so the dry overdressing is probably correct as well.


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## Ridryder911 (Oct 10, 2008)

Okay, we we go again. Did we not have lab sessions during the basic EMT course demonstrating Kerlix & Kling, Abd pads, triangular bandages, xeroform/Vaseline, Coban dsgs? 

I wonder what type of programs and practice sessions occurred (if any)? 

R/r 911


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## TransportJockey (Oct 10, 2008)

In our practice labs we used Coban, Kerlix, Oclussives, ABDs/4x4/2x2, Trauma dressings, burn sheets, and triangular

I've never used regular gauze rolls though


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## Sasha (Oct 11, 2008)

Ridryder911 said:


> Okay, we we go again. Did we not have lab sessions during the basic EMT course demonstrating Kerlix & Kling, Abd pads, triangular bandages, xeroform/Vaseline, Coban dsgs?
> 
> I wonder what type of programs and practice sessions occurred (if any)?
> 
> R/r 911



We were allowed to look at it, but not allowed to open and use it in my class :sad: (Except gauze, we were allowed to use the gauze and 4x4s)


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## TransportJockey (Oct 11, 2008)

Sasha said:


> We were allowed to look at it, but not allowed to open and use it in my class :sad: (Except gauze, we were allowed to use the gauze and 4x4s)



That's kinda retarded... How are you supposed to become proficient in using it if not allowed to practice?


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## Ridryder911 (Oct 11, 2008)

Sasha said:


> We were allowed to look at it, but not allowed to open and use it in my class :sad: (Except gauze, we were allowed to use the gauze and 4x4s)




Wow!.. What a crappy class and institution that is so tight not to allow their students to learn. Sorry your class was like that, unfortunately it appears to be dong more and more that way and we wonder why EMT's come out knowing nothing? 

R/r911


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## reaper (Oct 11, 2008)

That is why we make sure all expired drugs and supplies go to the local schools. I hate to see a class where they pick up a box and say "I'm giving Epi". I like them to be able to tear it open,put it together and push it through a drip set. This makes sure they know how to do it correctly.


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## Oregon (Oct 12, 2008)

Wow, I thought my school had it tough dumpster diving to snag the mannikens that the nursing program threw away.

We let them play with all that stuff (except vaseline gauze, I've never seen the stuff.  We just rip of the wrapper from a gauze roll or something and use that for an occlusive dressing.)  When things get ratty, usually some fire service is getting rid of something and hooks us up.  Like our MAST trousers...another lab assistant saw his service toss theirs and snagged them out of the trash for the program.  The stupid things always show up as a random on the State/National practical.

Man, do we go through miles of tape.  And for some reason the triangular bandages get torn up fast.


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## Sasha (Oct 12, 2008)

reaper said:


> That is why we make sure all expired drugs and supplies go to the local schools. I hate to see a class where they pick up a box and say "I'm giving Epi". I like them to be able to tear it open,put it together and push it through a drip set. This makes sure they know how to do it correctly.



Our drugs were at least five years old and we still arent allowed to play with them  Im starting to get real jealous.


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## mycrofft (Oct 12, 2008)

*Expired drugs?*

Hey, I'm your friend and brother, cousin, and all that, but how would we feel if we sent expired drugs to a class and the inevitable happens: 
a. someone steals some, recreational or not.
b. someone accidentally gets some on board during training.

Not to mention it is virtually certainly illegal. How about refilling containers with colored water and marking them training solution or some such?

Back to dressings...seeing how dressings work over time is useful. Most doctors are clueless, and field people can be also because once its on, they don't see the aftermath. One of my soapboxes for new folks is the psychology of dressings, which is to clean and cover it up immediately ("hide it"), when the goal should be to assess then stop the bleeding and allow optimal treatment of any other injuries. An ABD covers a lot of "Ew, blood" but also soaks a lot of blood away from the wound where it ought to be clotting instead of in that Kotex, unless you drop a gauze in between. (Nam vets stop nodding and snickering you're showing your age).
And when I see Telfa in a first aid kit I rip it out and replace it with my Adaptic. And some 4X4's.

And as for unitized products...anyone find any good civilian ones? The mil ones seem better but are not real good either; however, the goal being to fit a lot into a little space for not much money, they met their mission.


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## BossyCow (Oct 13, 2008)

> And when I see Telfa in a first aid kit I rip it out and replace it with my Adaptic. And some 4X4's.



This is funny! I just agreed to teach a first aid class to the local high school Voc/tech kids. My condition was, I get to go through your first aid kit while I'm there and when I'm done with the class, I'll give you a shopping list of things to go into your first aid kit and you have to put it all in there.


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## KEVD18 (Oct 13, 2008)

all our drugs were replaced with ns. still in the original packaging(opend but still there).

you definatley need to go through the physical skiil of assembling and administering a drug, but the actual fluid could very well be tropicana.


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## Sasha (Oct 13, 2008)

KEVD18 said:


> all our drugs were replaced with ns. still in the original packaging(opend but still there).
> 
> you definatley need to go through the physical skiil of assembling and administering a drug, but the actual fluid could very well be tropicana.



Apparently thats what your clinical/externship time is for, duh!

We got to inject stuff, like subQ, IM, the like. But it was into an orange. amazingly, putting it into a person is way different than an orange!


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## mycrofft (Oct 13, 2008)

*An AF aquaintance shot an atropen into a banana...*

needle came out between his thumb and forefinger on the other side.

Anyone conversant in these new clotting-agent bandages?
(Anyone remember putting clean cobwebs onto bleeders to make em stop?).


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## Scout (Oct 14, 2008)

But oranges have to be one of the best things ever, 


Love stiching oranges, great for learing and generaly improving a skill, that i'll never use,,,, but fun none the less

And when your done you can eat them


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## Sasha (Oct 14, 2008)

Scout said:


> But oranges have to be one of the best things ever,
> 
> 
> Love stiching oranges, great for learing and generaly improving a skill, that i'll never use,,,, but fun none the less
> ...



I think we were supposed to peel the oranges first... We just got the oranges and started jabbing them with needles as is. I felt really bad when I did my first IM and it didnt take so much force to jab it through his skin as it did the thick bumpy skin of an orange 

We were going to eat them too... But then we decided eating an orange with expired epi injected into it is not the greatest idea in the world  But wouldnt that have made for an interesting WTF scenario!?


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