Before applying any dressings, you should wash and dry your hands. You should also follow the advice outlined below.

• Make sure that you or the person who is bleeding are sitting, or laying, down.
• Tell the person what you are doing as you apply the dressings.
• If the affected area is bleeding, it should stop if you apply pressure and raise the area higher than the heart.
• Use dressings that are slightly bigger than the wound you want it to cover.
• Hold the dressings at the edges, keeping your fingers away from the part that’s going to cover the wound.
• Place the dressings on top on the wound – don’t put it on from the side.
• A little bit of pressure on the affected area should stop it from bleeding again – but make sure that you don’t restrict the circulation.

Sterile dressing pads attached to bandages

Sterile dressing pads come in a protective wrapping. Once they are out of the wrapping, they are no longer sterile or hygienic. When applying a sterile dressing pad:

• hold the bandage on either side of the pad,
• lay the pad directly on the wound,
• wind the short end once around the limb and the pad,
• wind the other end around the limb to cover the whole pad, and
• tie the ends together over the pad to secure it, and put slight pressure on the wound.

Plasters (also known as adhesive dressings)

Plasters are made from a piece of gauze and have an adhesive (sticky) backing. They are usually wrapped in single sterile packs. They sometimes come in different sizes, and shapes, or you can cut them to size. Some plasters are waterproof. When applying a plaster:

• clean and dry the skin around the wound,
• unwrap the plaster and hold it by the protective strips over the backing with the pad side facing down,
• peel back the strips, but don’t remove them, and
• place the pad on the wound, before pulling away the strips, and pressing the edges of the plaster down.

Related articles:

1. Emer­gen­cies – A crit­ical or life threat­en­ing situ­ations
2. Improve your First Aids skill (part 1)
3. How to help someone who is chok­ing
4. Belly But­ton dis­charge
5. Bleed­ing from small cuts and grazes
6. Radi­ation emer­gen­cies
7. Five poten­tially ser­i­ous con­di­tions your baby may face
8. How to take someone’s tem­per­at­ure
9. Infec­tions from used needles or sharps

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