How to Apply a Plaster & Other Wound Dressings

Although we don’t like to think about injuries, it is good to be prepared in the event that you, or someone else, needs a plaster, dressing or bandage applied to a wound. With the help of our guide, you’ll be able to apply a plaster and other wound dressings with ease — as well as know when it’s best to use each.

Before you dress a wound, make sure you wash and dry your hands with soap, and put on surgical gloves. This helps reduce the risk of contamination between first aider and subject.*

*As well as reduced risk of infection, gloves can also reduce sweat and improve your grip, which is useful for applying plasters and bandages.

How to Apply a Plaster

Plasters are an adhesive strip of sterile material for covering light cuts and wounds, designed to protect the wound from further damage or infection. To apply a plaster,

1. Wash and dry your hands, and put on disposable gloves.
2. Clean and dry the wound with water or an alcohol-free wipe, and a clean towel or pad of tissues.
3. Unwrap the plaster from its sterile pack, and hold the protective strips.
4. Peel back the strips and place the plaster on the wound, with the pad side facing down.
5. Remove strips and press the edges of the plaster down.
6. Replace plaster every time they get dirty or wet, or if the blood soaks through.

If possible, make sure you use the right size, shape and type of plaster. Although fabric plasters are great for minor wounds, they don’t work well in wet conditions. In this instance, you would need a washproof plaster. Likewise, a hydrogel plaster is designed just for minor burns and scalds, and a hydrocolloid plaster is just for blisters.

How to Apply a Gauze Pad

A gauze pad is a piece of fabric used to guard and cushion a wound, and to absorb blood or other fluids. Most gauze pads will be non-adhesive, which means that, unlike a plaster, they won’t stick to the skin around a wound. In this case, you will need to secure the pad after it is applied.

To apply a gauze pad,

1. Wash hands and put on disposable gloves.
2. Clean and dry the wound and surrounding areas.
3. Place the gauze pad on top of the wound.
4. Secure the pad with adhesive medical tape or a roller bandage.

Is There a Bandage Attached to the Gauze Pad?

If there is a bandage attached to your dressing or gauze pad, you will need to follow the same steps as above with one key difference. Instead of securing the pad with tape,

1. Wrap the short end of the attached bandage around the injured part to secure the dressing pad.
2. Then wrap the longer end around the injured part, with the short end hanging out.
3. Secure by tying the short and long ends together in a reef knot, over the top of the pad to keep pressure on the wound.

How to Apply a Bandage

A bandage is a strip of woven material used to bind up a wound or to protect an injured body part. Before you apply a bandage, you need to know what type of bandage you require. There are three main types of bandages.

• Roller bandages are used to hold dressings against wounds.
• Triangular are often used as a sling to support injuries and immobilize broken bones.
• Tubular are often used to hold dressings on fingers or toes, or to support injured joints.

If the bandage is too large, you can use scissors to cut the bandage to size before you apply it.

To apply a roller bandage,

Apply the bandage firmly, but not tightly, and secure the end by folding it over and tying a knot. You can also use a safety pin or medical tape to secure the bandage.

To apply a triangular bandage,

1. Ask the injured person to hold their arm across their chest and support the arm.
2. Put the bandage under the arm and around the back of the neck.
3. Put the other half of the bandage over the arm to meet at the shoulder and tie into a knot
4. Tuck the loose ends of the bandage in at the elbow, or use a pin to secure the ends.

Most tubular bandages should come as a seamless fabric tube, which can be placed on the injured joint (fingers or toes) with ease.

Remember to avoid covering fingers or toes when bandaging a limb so you can easily check the circulation.

How to Use a Burn Dressing

Burn dressings are designed to cool the burn, provide pain relief and protect the wound from infection.

To use a burn dressing,

1. Wash hands and put on disposable gloves.
2. Remove clothes and accessories from the burn.
3. Keep the area clean and do not apply any creams or greasy substances.
4. Apply a foam-based burn dressing to the wound to help relieve pain, prevent contamination and minimise trauma and skin damage.

Please note that this is designed for minor burns. Burns that require medical treatment will need to be seen and treated by a healthcare professional.

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At morSafe, we stock a selection of plasters, dressings and bandages with free next day delivery available. If you need more guidance, please do contact us on 01686 611 377 or sales@morsafesupplies.com.