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The vast majority of people at least once in their lives have experienced bruises or penetrating wounds of the head, blows or concussions, as well as neck injuries resulting from an accident, sports, or at home. Applying a bandage is one of the first aid measures for neck and head injuries. Dressings in this case can be varied, and their imposition can have a different effect – from reducing swelling to stopping bleeding. So, dressings can be curative, pressure and protective, and each type requires certain skills and abilities to apply, as well as basic knowledge of medical care for neck and head injuries.
Types of dressings used for head and neck wounds
A bandage around the neck or head may be necessary in various cases – to stop bleeding, for immobilization, for cuts, bruises or scratches. At the same time, the type of dressing, as well as the material used for it, may be different. Particular attention should be paid to wounds and injuries associated with a violation of the integrity of the skin, as well as bleeding and bleeding wounds, since in these cases there is a possibility of infection in the wound.
Medical dressings are specially impregnated with various ointments and therapeutic agents that help accelerate tissue healing. Protective, in turn, protect the site of injury or injury from infection and suppuration. Applying a pressure bandage is one way to stop bleeding.
What can be used to make a bandage? The most commonly used dressing material is medical gauze. Its advantage is availability in any pharmacy, sterility and low price, as well as the naturalness of the material itself. If gauze is not at hand, and assistance to the victim should be provided urgently, any clean and natural fabric, preferably white, will do. In order to ensure at least its minimum disinfection, the fabric should be ironed on both sides.
In order for the fabric or gauze to have an effect on blood clotting and promote wound healing, it can be impregnated with a special ointment, for example, Levomekol or Baneocin. Between the wound surface and the bandage, a layer of sterile cotton wool or gauze wipes must be placed.
First aid and dressing for neck injuries
Injuries and damage to the neck can occur in various cases – when falling, while diving in shallow water, in various accidents, natural disasters and catastrophes. Injury to the cervical spine is easy to identify – the affected person feels pain in the neck, as well as a significant limitation of its mobility. Open wounds are easily identified by the presence of a violation of the integrity of the skin.
Such injuries and wounds are dangerous for a person, since the neck, firstly, contains the respiratory tract, and secondly, the spine, spinal cord and important arteries pass through it. Squeezing blood vessels or the spinal cord in the cervical region can cause death.
When providing first aid to a victim with an injured neck, one should not make sudden movements, pushes, bend too much or move the neck intensively. To open the airways, you can not tilt the person’s head back – you need to gently grab the chin with your fingers and pull it up.
The most dangerous condition for the victim is bleeding from the cervical artery. Without immediate medical attention, a person will die in a matter of minutes. Therefore, even if the victim has no pulse and breathing, and cervical bleeding is observed, the first resuscitation measure will be to stop it, the second is to restore respiratory and cardiac activity.
The carotid artery is a paired vessel that is located on the neck and has two branches: left and right. If it is the carotid artery that is damaged, it is necessary to pinch one of its branches with a finger. Next, you need to clamp the wound itself, for example, with a skein of gauze or a bandage, after which a pressure bandage is applied to the victim.
To apply such a bandage on the neck, a bandage, gauze or cloth must be wrapped in a circular motion through the side of the neck where the damage is localized, and through the opposite arm, lifting it up and passing the bandage under it. Another option for a pressure bandage on the neck is with a splint on the healthy side of the neck.
Fractures of the cervical spine is a condition no less threatening than bleeding, as it can cause displacement of the cervical vertebrae, impaired circulation, and even suffocation. First of all, the victim should be laid face up on a hard surface, and the head and neck should be completely immobilized. If a person has no breathing and pulse, you must first take resuscitation measures to restore them, that is, artificial respiration. In such cases, an Elansky, Bashmakov or Shants splint can be applied, as well as a cotton-gauze collar, in addition, a special soft circle or improvised materials, such as clothes, towels, bags, can be used to immobilize the patient.
The Elansky tire is a collapsible structure that cannot be built from improvised means. To apply it, you must have a collapsible kit on hand, in addition, you need to have some medical skills. It consists of a wooden base to which special straps are attached.
Bashmakov’s tire also requires two ladder tires, as well as cotton wool and bandages.
A simpler option is the Shants bus, or a cardboard-gauze collar. It needs:
- carton;
- cotton wool;
- gauze;
- bandage 14-16 centimeters wide.
The blank, which can be quickly made from cardboard, has dimensions of 430 by 140 millimeters. The cardboard is wrapped with a layer of cotton wool and a double layer of gauze. The head of the victim is gently lifted, a cardboard collar is placed under it, which is fixed with gauze ties or bandages.
In order to fix the neck with a cotton-gauze collar, it is first wrapped with a thick layer of cotton wool, and then bandaged in a circle with a bandage. The bandage should not squeeze the organs in the cervical region or interfere with breathing. The width of the cotton wool layer should be such that it supports the head from above, and tightly rests against the clothes from below.
Applying immobilizing structures to the neck is a complex process that can only be carried out by someone who has a basic level of medical training. Attaching the splint to the head is difficult, and the imposition of rigid squeezing grips on the neck is impossible, since it blocks the airways and large cervical vessels.
It is more convenient to carry out all measures for applying immobilizing bandages on the neck together with an assistant who will carefully hold the victim’s head, preventing additional injury.
Bandages for head injuries: the basics of first aid
Head injuries are considered one of the most severe injuries, as they are especially life-threatening. In addition to a concussion, a person can be threatened with fractures of the bones of the skull, various types of craniocerebral injuries. If the victim has a discharge of a clear or yellow clear liquid from the ears or nose, as well as the appearance of bruises under the eyes, this may indicate mechanical damage to the brain.
The main rule of first aid for head injuries is to avoid sudden movements, pressure, and infection in the wound. It should be understood that only a qualified physician can provide medical assistance in such complex cases. It is necessary to check the victim’s pulse and breathing, if they are absent, it is necessary to carefully carry out resuscitation measures – artificial respiration, heart massage. If there is a pulse and breathing, the victim should simply be laid on his side to prevent blockage of the airways, for example, by vomiting, and observe him until the doctors arrive. It is impossible to sit down or try to put a person with a head injury on his feet, even if he is conscious.
Headbanding may be relevant if the person has bleeding that needs to be stopped, or if there is an open wound. If there are foreign bodies in the wound – pieces of metal, bones, glass – it is strictly forbidden to try to remove them. The victim needs to apply a bandage using a “donut” – a rolled roller from improvised materials or cotton wool. To do this, cotton wool or fabric is rolled up with a “sausage”, wrapped with a layer of gauze or bandage, and then laid around a protruding object. Next, the wound is covered with a sterile napkin and bandaged.
The most common types of dressings for head injuries are:
- cruciform on the back of the head;
- clog;
- eye patch;
- bridle;
- bandaging of the ears;
- Hippocratic hat;
- simple circular ligation.
Cross bandage on the back of the head. Relevant for wounds and injuries of the occipital part of the head. To apply it, you need a long bandage 10-12 centimeters wide. If the victim is conscious, he is seated on a chair, facing the bandager. A coil of bandage is taken in the right hand, a strip of bandage is taken in the left. The end of the bandage is applied to the back of the head, after which it is wrapped around the head twice clockwise. Having brought the bandage to the back of the head, it is lowered to the neck, held under the ear and again wrapped around the head. Several turns are performed around the head, overlapping the back of the head, followed by two-thirds of the time. The bandage ends with a circular motion of the bandage, after which it is tied in the forehead.
Cap. It is superimposed if the back of the head or forehead is damaged, it is carried out along the scalp. A piece of bandage 80-90 centimeters long is located on the parietal part of the head, the patient holds the ends. The coil of the bandage is in the right hand, the beginning of the bandage is in the left. Around the forehead and the back of the head, the bandage is carried out in a circle, then it is carried out along the frontal part to the tie, the tie is looped around, then the bandage is led through the back of the head to the opposite side to the other tie. The bandage wraps around the tie again and leads to the opposite edge, and so on until the entire scalp is covered. After that, the bandage wraps around one of the ends of the tie, and is fixed with a knot. Under the chin, the ends of the bandage are tied, which the patient held.
Eye patch. Injury to the head can also be accompanied by damage to the eyes. In such cases, it is necessary to apply a monocular bandage or a fixing circle. Monocular bandage on the back of the head, under the ear and across the cheek, and so on in a circle.
The fixing circle is applied by passing an “X” bandage above and below the ears through both eyes, with a cross at the bridge of the nose.
Bridle. Such a bandage covers the head almost completely, leaving only the face uncovered. The bandage is wrapped around the forehead and the back of the head, then it is brought to the chin, wrapped around the left and right temples. After that, the bandage is passed through the neck, the head is wrapped, and the end of the bandage is fixed on the chin. The dressing material is fixed at the temple from the undamaged side.
Ear bandage. A simple type of dressing, which is also called Neapolitan. In order to bandage the ears, you first need to make a few fixing circles with a bandage around the head above the ears, after which you need to go down with the bandage to the affected part of the ear.
Hippocratic hat. A more complex type of dressing, which is applied simultaneously with two gauze or bandages. The first bandage is started in a circle several times, the second is passed through the cranial vault. In the forehead area, two bandages meet. Having overlapped them on each other, the second bandage is passed through the first, and goes to the back of the head. Behind the second bandage is passed under the first. Usually 3-4 circles are performed with each bandage at the same time.
Simple circular ligation. Superimposed if the affected person has a slight injury in the forehead, occipital or temporal part of the head. A strip of bandage is placed on the crown, the ends hang down. Bandaging is done in a circle, after which the material is fixed in the forehead.
Under any type of dressing directly on the wound, it is necessary to put sterile gauze wipes or cotton pads that will cover the wound surface and protect it from further damage. The edges of the wound must be treated with antiseptic preparations – chlorhexidine, peroxide solution, iodine or “brilliant green”. It is not recommended to pour cauterizing preparations into the wound itself, so as not to cause pain shock. If there is dirt in the wound, it can be washed with a peroxide solution or purified boiled water.
The first aid that can be provided to a wounded person with neck and head injuries is to assess his condition and the factors that threaten him. If the victim has no pulse and breathing, first of all, it is necessary to carry out possible resuscitation measures. If he is bleeding extensively, he must be stopped before resuscitation. Neck bleeding is especially dangerous, since, firstly, they can cause heavy blood loss and death of the affected person, and secondly, they are extremely difficult to stop in the absence of medical care. In case of head and neck injuries, if possible, it is necessary to immobilize the patient as much as possible, exclude or mitigate the most acutely dangerous conditions (bleeding, lack of breathing), and then wait for the help of the medical team.