If you or a loved one has suffered an elbow injury, it may be necessary to secure it with a bandage. If the bone isn't broken, but you're still in a lot of pain, a bandage can prevent further injury by locking your elbow in place. The information in this article is intended for the one who helps you put the bandage on; if you are the person who suffered the injury, ask someone to read these instructions for putting the bandage on your elbow. The elbow can be tied with rolled, tubular or triangular bandages. Read on for more information.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Using Rolled Bandages
Step 1. Know that there are different types of rolled bandages
You can find them on the market made in three different materials: loose weave, elastic or elastic compression. Each material has its own peculiar characteristics.
- Loose weave bandages: This type of bandage allows a lot of ventilation, but doesn't put much pressure on the elbow and doesn't support the joints. These are the most used for wound dressings.
- Elastic bandages: These follow the shape of the elbow, and are generally used when support is needed to support the tissues in sprains and strains.
- Elastic Compression Bandages: This is the best type of bandage to use if you are injured in your elbow and need extra support to hold it in place.
Step 2. Ask the injured person you want to help flex their elbow
You will need to wrap it in a slightly bent position to facilitate circulation and to ensure that no further injury occurs. Sit the victim in a comfortable position and bend their elbow a little at a 45 to 90 degree angle.
It is easier if the person supports the arm and elbow with the other hand, or by resting it on the arm of an armchair or sofa in a flexed position
Step 3. Check the victim's pulse
It is always good to check the pulse to make sure that the blood circulation is regular. If he has poor circulation, you will need to wrap the bandage less tightly. To check your heart rate, look for the pulse on your wrist by pressing with your middle and index fingers. Once you have found your pulse, look at a watch and count how many beats you feel in a minute. If you feel between 60 and 100, then the person has good circulation. Any results outside of this range indicate that you should wrap the bandage looser than normal.
You can also do the capillary filling test in the nails. To do this, you need to squeeze or put pressure on one of the person's nails. When you press it, the nail appears a white color while when you release the pressure, the normal pink color should return in less than 2 seconds. If the nail remains white for more than 3 seconds, the person has bad blood flow
Step 4. Band the injured area
Unfold the roll of bandage and place it halfway between the elbow and the wrist (about 7.5 cm below the elbow). As you begin to wrap, overlap each step slightly so that the end stays in place.
Make sure you wrap your bent elbow in a position between 45 and 90 degrees
Step 5. Wrap the rest of the arm
Continue wrapping in a spiral motion. Each layer should cover one third to two thirds of the previous layer if you want to make sure the bandage stays in place. You should wrap your bicep until the bandage covers your arm at least 7.5cm above the elbow.
If you want you can add another layer on the injured area
Step 6. Secure the bandage
After wrapping the arm and the injured area, you need to fix the bandage in place. You can do this by connecting the end part to the previous layer with:
A safety pin, clip, or piece of medical tape
Step 7. Check for perfect circulation
Ask the subject if the bandage is too tight. If it is, put the bandage back on so that the person feels more comfortable. Check your heart rate again. You should now see that the pulse and blood circulation have changed. If the pulse is still between 60 and 100, its circulation is fine and the bandage is not too tight.
You can still use the nail technique. Press on one of her nails and see how long it takes for it to return to the normal pink color. If more than four seconds pass, the blood circulation is not good, which means that the bandage is too tight
Method 2 of 3: Using Tubular Bandages
Step 1. Use the tubular bandage when the joint is injured or you need to cover the wound with a dressing
Tubular bandages are, as the name suggests, tubes of tissue into which a person's arm is inserted to support a damaged joint, such as the elbow. This type of bandage is also indicated if the elbow has suffered a cut or injury because it can help hold the dressing in place.
Step 2. Bend your elbow a little and check your wrist
As with the bandage roll, it is important to check that the person has good circulation. You can do this by placing your index and middle fingers on the subject's wrist and counting how many beats you feel in one minute. If they are between 60 and 100, the person has good circulation and you can proceed with the bandage.
In addition, you can carefully check if the patient has good blood flow by applying pressure to one of the nails. The nails are pink in color, but they turn white when you press on them. When you release the nail, it must turn pink again within four seconds; otherwise the blood circulation is not good
Step 3. Measure the area you want to bandage and cut the bandage accordingly
Use a tape measure to make sure the length is adequate. Start the measurement halfway between the wrist and the elbow by extending up to the height of the armpit and cut the tubular bandage to the right length.
- If you're in a hurry to bandage and don't have a tape measure, you can rest the bandage on your subject's arm and cut it to the size you think is correct.
- For example, if the arm measures 50 cm from the point halfway between the wrist and elbow to the armpit, you should cut the tubular bandage so that it is 50 cm long.
Step 4. Cover the wound (if a lesion is present)
If the elbow was injured, cover it before putting on the tubular bandage. Clean the area with hydrogen peroxide or Betadine and let it dry for about five minutes. Have the victim bend the elbow slightly and apply the dressing.
You can hold the gauze in place with medical tape or ask the person to hold it while you put the tubular bandage on
Step 5. Pull the bandage over your arm
Use both hands to stretch the open bandage so you can slip it over his hand and arm. Have the person hold the elbow straight and gently pull the tubular band over the dressing, the elbow, and the rest of the arm. You should do this the same way you slip a sock over your foot.
Make sure the bandage is well stretched once it is on. Eliminate all wrinkles
Step 6. Make sure the bandage is not too tight
As with the bandage, you need to make sure that the tubular band is not too tight. Check the victim's pulse again by counting heartbeats or use the nail method.
If the pulse has changed or the nail takes longer to return to its normal color, the bandage is too tight and you need to pull it a little to make it softer
Method 3 of 3: Using Triangular Bandages
Step 1. Use a triangular bandage as a harness
Triangular bandages are usually used to support the elbow and arm, but they can also help hold a dressing in place. Again, it is easier to put a triangular bandage on someone else, rather than on yourself, so if you are the injured person, ask for someone's help.
Step 2. Check your pulse and flex your elbow
As with other dressings, it is important to know the state of the person's blood circulation. Ask the patient to bend (or flex) the elbow at a 90 degree angle and check the heart rate. You can do this by placing your middle finger and index finger on your wrist and counting how many beats you feel in one minute (they should be between 60 and 100).
You can also press on a fingernail to check the quality of the circulation. As previously explained, the nail turns white when you press it, but it must return to its natural color within four seconds. If this is not done, the person has poor circulation
Step 3. Use the good arm to support the injured one
Ask the person you are helping to hold the injured arm to the chest and support the injured elbow by holding it with the unaffected arm. This will make the wrapping process much easier. If you use the triangular bandage as a harness, it should be opened before being fixed on the person. This is the right time to do it.
Step 4. Put the bandage in place
Slowly put it under the patient's arm and wrap it around the back of the neck. Put the other half of the bandage on the arm so that the top meets on the shoulder with the other side of the bandage. Then tie it with a knot.
You can tuck the ends of the bandage into the elbow area, or keep them secured with a safety pin or clip
Step 5. Make sure the band is not too tight
Ask the subject how he feels. If it feels tight, loosen it a little. You also need to make sure that circulation is not blocked in the arm. Check the person's pulse once more to make sure it hasn't changed.
