Bandaging Survey

[jomoto]

My name is Joshua MacEachern. I am a senior at Chapin High School in Texas, and for my Engineering culminating project I am researching ways to improve the amount of time it takes to bandage large wounds. It would be greatly appreciated if you could take five minutes of your time to take this survey.

Thank you!

https ://goo. gl/ forms/ W1NwZBEpCbCxyfHv2

(As this is my first post, I am not allowed to post a link. I have inserted spaces in the link so that it can still be accessed, but those spaces will need to be removed. My apologies for the inconvenience.)

 

[jomoto]

Also, if you have the time to pass this survey along to your coworkers and colleagues, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Underoath87]

Huh? I think taping a large trauma bandage around a large wound is plenty quick.

 

[jomoto]

Huh? I think taping a large trauma bandage around a large wound is plenty quick.

Thank you for your reply. From what I have seen both in my research, and in my personal experience, taping a bandage around a wound sometimes can not deliver compression necessary to staunch bleeding. In instances like this, a redesign of the bandage that can deliver a constant pressure without having to worry about the tape coming undone would be of value. In the journal Military Medicine, Shipman and Lessard wrote that "the first step in containing seriously wounded casualties is to control the hemorrhage as much as possible. The first approach for hemorrhage control continues to be direct pressure on the bleeding site."

Thank you again for your response, and if you have any further questions, feel free to ask.

 

[Dennhop]

If you google Israeli bandage, you'll find the design of that particular style dressing addresses many of the issues you mention. We used them in the military, as well as the civilian ems service also has them here.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Thank you for your reply. From what I have seen both in my research, and in my personal experience, taping a bandage around a wound sometimes can not deliver compression necessary to staunch bleeding. In instances like this, a redesign of the bandage that can deliver a constant pressure without having to worry about the tape coming undone would be of value. In the journal Military Medicine, Shipman and Lessard wrote that "the first step in containing seriously wounded casualties is to control the hemorrhage as much as possible. The first approach for hemorrhage control continues to be direct pressure on the bleeding site."

Thank you again for your response, and if you have any further questions, feel free to ask.

What personal experience do you have with a bandage not being able to control bleeding?

 

[Qulevrius]

Thank you for your reply. From what I have seen both in my research, and in my personal experience, taping a bandage around a wound sometimes can not deliver compression necessary to staunch bleeding. In instances like this, a redesign of the bandage that can deliver a constant pressure without having to worry about the tape coming undone would be of value. In the journal Military Medicine, Shipman and Lessard wrote that "the first step in containing seriously wounded casualties is to control the hemorrhage as much as possible. The first approach for hemorrhage control continues to be direct pressure on the bleeding site."

Thank you again for your response, and if you have any further questions, feel free to ask.

If you're worried about not delivering enough pressure, then:

A) Slap a 4x4 on the wound,
B) Tie a knot on the bandage,
C) Position the knot on 4x4,
D) Finish bandaging,
E) Profit !

 

[jomoto]

What personal experience do you have with a bandage not being able to control bleeding?

Personal experience is honestly from bandaging accidents that I've had. One instances was an accident with a mandolin slicer, as I was trying to clean it. Due to the large number of capillaries in fingers, it was bleeding faster than I could bandage it; as soon as there was gauze on it, the gauze was soaked through. Although the smart thing to do would have been to compress my finger to cut off blood flow, and then bandage it, I only have two hands . I know this is one specific incident, and probably something that can be written off, but I am not a novice to having to control bleeding.

 

[DesertMedic66]

Applying pressure to a bandage is not complicated. If you want to keep stuff out of the wound then you can put a 4x4 over it and tape it. If you need to control bleeding then you can wrap a bandage around it.

 

[CALEMT]

Applying pressure to a bandage is not complicated. If you want to keep stuff out of the wound then you can put a 4x4 over it and tape it. If you need to control bleeding then you can wrap a bandage around it.

I'll even push it to the extreme. Even if you can't control the bleeding through direct pressure and wrapping a bandage, then you move on to a tourniquet. This isn't rocket science. Bandaging has been done essentially the same way for who knows how many eons. Its a simple concept. To stop the bleeding maybe I should cover it. Is it still bleeding? Maybe another bandage and apply some pressure. Still bleeding? Maybe I should just cut off blood flow with some sort of device. That will stop the bleeding.

There really isn't any device that'll magically speed up bandaging. The only thing you can do to speed up the already quick process is to be proficient in the skill and practice.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Go buy an Israeli bandage.

Seriously.

Problem solved.

I understand that this is a high school project, but you're creating a solution to a problem that isn't. Bleeding control is a big problem, but "finding ways to improve the time it takes to bandage a wound" isn't.

 

[ERDoc]

Femstop or sutures anyone?

 

[CALEMT]

Hell, superglue?

 

[jomoto]

Go buy an Israeli bandage.

Seriously.

Problem solved.

I understand that this is a high school project, but you're creating a solution to a problem that isn't. Bleeding control is a big problem, but "finding ways to improve the time it takes to bandage a wound" isn't.

All due respect, but if bleeding control is a problem, how is improving the bandaging process not a part of that? As far as the Israeli bandage goes, if you look at my survey, I have looked into it, but it does not seem like it is without faults that can be improved.

 

[NysEms2117]

All due respect, but if bleeding control is a problem, how is improving the bandaging process not a part of that? As far as the Israeli bandage goes, if you look at my survey, I have looked into it, but it does not seem like it is without faults that can be improved.

A big part in EMS is improvisation my friend. I'd venture to guess most experienced folks in EMS will be able to improvise. We make the square peg fit in the circle hole if you catch my drift. However, this is only when needed, and to be frank im not sure it is here. I took your survey, Hoping you can look at this as a learning experience.

 

[CatrionaEMT]

I took the survey - but a few questions didn't make much sense. Such as "Major wound: turniquette or bandage?" it clearly depends on the major wound. Maybe I'm delving too deep into this - but if the wound is something that can be further damaged by a turniquette - then we have to make it work.
As far as the rest of it - I don't really see the issues with bandages. Bleeding control yes, but bandages, not so much.

 

[StCEMT]

All due respect, but if bleeding control is a problem, how is improving the bandaging process not a part of that? As far as the Israeli bandage goes, if you look at my survey, I have looked into it, but it does not seem like it is without faults that can be improved.

Because bleeding control itself isn't necessarily a complicated thing. What faults have you found with the Israeli bandage?

 

[samiam]

First off its eaiser to bangade someone else than it is yourself depending on where it is. second a ace wrap over any bandage helps a lot

 

[OnceAnEMT]

For someone who has never applied an Israeli Bandage before, can someone explain why it should be used as opposed to a tourniquet?

For instance, a patient has a gash on the anterior aspect of the forearm. 4x4s + manual pressure are applied at first in an attempt to control bleeding. The 4x4s saturate, more are added. The bleeding cannot be controlled. Why go Israeli and not straight to tourniquet?

Or is it moreso intended for a quick application to begin extrication, and if bleeding through the bandage is noticed, add a tourniquet?

Why are we spending $5-10 dollars on something that could (a) be replaced by a tourniquet in a "hot" environment, or (b) could be replaced by a non-adherent pad + curlex or ace wrap?

 

[Qulevrius]

For someone who has never applied an Israeli Bandage before, can someone explain why it should be used as opposed to a tourniquet?

For instance, a patient has a gash on the anterior aspect of the forearm. 4x4s + manual pressure are applied at first in an attempt to control bleeding. The 4x4s saturate, more are added. The bleeding cannot be controlled. Why go Israeli and not straight to tourniquet?

Or is it moreso intended for a quick application to begin extrication, and if bleeding through the bandage is noticed, add a tourniquet?

Why are we spending $5-10 dollars on something that could (a) be replaced by a tourniquet in a "hot" environment, or (b) could be replaced by a non-adherent pad + curlex or ace wrap?

Israeli bandage has a built-in absorbtion pad with a pressure bar in it. When you apply it, you use a 'Union Jack' pattern where the pad applies direct pressure on the wound, and the bandage itself goes criss-cross. By itself, the bandage is very resilient to saturation as opposed to usual Kerlix or triangulars, but if even the Israeli gets saturated then by all means, tourniquet it.

Tourniquets are always the last resort, because they completely stop the blood flow. Have to be very careful with applying the tourniquet in terms of time and severity of the wound, because a) many people do not understand that recording the time of application is crucial, b) many people don't apply it properly and c) if something is cocked up in the process, the casualty develops a tissue necrosis and loses a limb.