Most healthcare professionals know how to bandage a leg, but it's such an important thing that everyone should be able to do it. Being able to do a bandage can be beneficial in many cases, including sprains during sports, strains, long-term wound care, burns, and edema. Elastic bandages can be bought at the drugstore or supermarket and you can find one in most first aid kits. Elastic bandages are usually beige in color and have hooks to secure the ends. This guide will teach you, in just a few steps, how to bandage a leg.
Steps
Step 1. Use a 10 or 15 cm high bandage
The higher one is useful for wrapping the thigh.
Step 2. Clean the bandage (wash it if necessary) and make sure it is dry before applying it to a wound or injury
Step 3. Once dry, roll the bandage back on itself
This will make it easier to apply the bandage.
Step 4. Wash and dry the part of the leg you need to bandage
Step 5. Wrap the leg in the elastic bandage below the injured or swollen area
Always start a bandage from the bottom.
Step 6. Wrap the end of the bandage around your leg (or foot if starting there) twice
Make sure it is firmly in place.
Step 7. Wrap the leg alternating the angle of inclination of the bandage with each turn, so that the edges make an "X"
Draw an 8-like figure with the blindfold.
For example, when wrapping the bandage by pulling it to the left, tilt the bandage up and go behind the leg. As soon as you get to the front, tilt the bandage slightly down. Work your way up the leg, and when you come back to the front again, tilt the bandage up. Continue in this way until you have used all the bandage you have available
Step 8. Overlap the bandage lightly with each step to keep the edges in place
Step 9. Check that the bandage is smooth and has no wrinkles before attaching it
Step 10. Secure the end with the hook
If you have lost them or they are bent, you can use silk patch (the one commonly used for dressings), making a full turn of the leg and securing it to itself.
Step 11. Check that the toes are warm and pink (compare them to the toes of the other foot)
If the bandage is too tight, the big toe may go numb or feel tingling. If the fingers are cold to the touch or turn a bluish color, the bandage is too tight. Remove the bandage and do it again leaving it a little looser.
Advice
- The bandage should be comfortable and provide support without stopping circulation.
- If you need to bandage your foot, let your heel free.
- Elastic bandages can also be used to make joint support bandages or to help prevent injuries.
- If you're packing a bandage for a sprained ankle, it's best to add some padding under the bandage.
