This information is of a general nature only and should not be considered a replacement for proper first aid training.
General suggestions include:
The injured person should be sitting or lying down. Position yourself in front of the person on their injured side.
Make sure their injured body part is supported in position before you start to bandage it.
If the injured person can help by holding the padding in place, wrap the ‘tail’ of the bandage one full turn around the limb, so that the bandage is anchored.
If there is no assistance, wrap the ‘tail’ of the bandage directly around the padding over the wound.
Bandage up the limb, making sure each turn overlaps the turn before. Alternatively, you can bandage in a ‘figure eight’ fashion.
Make sure the bandage isn’t too tight so you don’t reduce blood flow to the extremities (hands and feet). Check by pressing on a fingernail or toenail of the injured limb – if the pink colour returns within a couple of seconds, the bandage isn’t affecting the person’s circulation. If the nail remains white for some time, loosen the bandage. Keep checking and adjusting the bandage, especially if swelling is a problem.
