How To Use An Israeli Bandage

Using an israeli bandage on the arm

Before the Israeli emergency bandage was invented in 1998, wounded soldiers were told to find a stone and wrap it on top of hemorrhaging wounds in order to agree direct pressure.

Although that time was less than xx years agone, engineering has come a long style since then. The emergency cast's banana-shaped, plastic force per unit area bar now does the piece of work of the rock and comes conveniently attached.

History
Using an Israeli Bandage
On Limbs
On the Chest
On the Belly
On the Head
On the Neck
Securing a Splint
Specialized Types of Israeli Bandage
Tips and Recommendations
Summary
Additional Resources
References

History of the Israeli Bandage

The Emergency Bandage, likewise known every bit the Israeli Cast, like then many get-go assistance items, was developed for apply in the U.Southward. military to apace cease haemorrhage in emergency situations past putting focused force per unit area on uncontrollable wounds.

They've been actively used in combat past the military since Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

You can learn more virtually the history of the Emergency Bandage by watching this video courtesy of Persys Medical:

Using an Israeli Bandage

When you purchase the Israeli cast information technology comes individually wrapped in a sterile, vacuum-sealed package, merely if it's your starting time time using 1 open it up and try it out.

How to stop bleeding with a israeli trauma bandage

Don't worry most needing to buy a new bandage in one case you suspension the seal; although it's no longer considered sterile yous won't increase the risk of infection as long as the bandages are kept clean[1].

Israeli battle dressing to control hemorrhage

Equally the bandage is unrolled at that place is a white string that's been threaded through the wrap fabric. This will prevent the elastic wrap from unrolling and falling into dirt or potential contaminants if you accidentally drop the curl.

The cord volition pull through as you wrap the cast and will autumn out at the end.

The bandages are non-reusable because there's no skilful manner to clean blood out of the absorption pad, and then yous may want to keep a second one in your business firm equally backup.

Package of an emergency bandage

The package is vacuum-sealed, merely I've found that there'due south a lot of extra plastic hanging off either end that takes upwardly valuable infinite in a pocket-size, portable first assist kit.

I cutting off both ends of the plastic, then that the wrapping is shaped similar a tube that's the same length as the bandage is wide. Just brand sure you don't cut the instructions off the package.

The rolled up bandage fits snugly inside the bundle with no wasted space.

You tin can purchase this bandage on Amazon by following this link.

On Limbs

Learn how to apply an emergency cast with our infographic.

Remember that you can download or share our infographic, but remember to reference our site or link this commodity in your website.

With this method I wasn't quite able to get the same pressure level equally with a tourniquet because the plastic closure bar looked like information technology was going to break.

With a slightly longer, sturdier windlass an israeli cast could exist used every bit an improvised tourniquet.

If you're applying the israeli bandage to your own arm, there is an like shooting fish in a barrel fashion to wrap the bandage 1-handed.

At the very stop of the wrap next to the assimilation pad there is an arm loop. Slide the injured arm through the loop, over the wound and continue to wrap equally normal.

On the Chest

Cut open the plastic packaging of the bandage and place it on the absorption pad making sure that the sterile side of the packaging is facing the wound.
Wrap the bandage the same way y'all'd wrap a limb. Be careful that the package lies smooth over the wound with no creases or folds; this should be an closed seal.

The technique for wrapping the chest is similar to that for the limbs with several potential differences:

When dealing with deep cuts or punctures in the chest, virtually external haemorrhage will not exist life threatening, and internal haemorrhage requires emergency hospital care.

The main, easily-treatable cause of death related to chest wounds is a punctured lung. This can be treated with a chest seal or occlusive dressing that prevents air flow into the chest cavity through the wound.

While commercial chest seals are bachelor, if you discover yourself without one an israeli bandage can exist used in its place.

See our article on chest seals and occlusive dressings for more information on sucking chest wounds.

On the Abdomen

Abdominal wounds don't need a lot of pressure considering there'south no bone to put pressure against.

The absorption pad should be placed over the wound and wrapped similar the chest or a limb, just don't pull the bandage as tight. The purpose of an abdominal dressing is to keep the wound sterile and prevent infection.
If possible, moisten the absorption pad before applying. A dry pad will stick to the wound as the blood clots causing it to reopen when the bandage is removed.

An occlusive dressing can exist used in conjunction with an israeli cast to increment the covered area for large wounds.

On the Head

Pressure level bandages tin can even be used on the head, but y'all'll need to employ a creative wrapping technique to secure it.

With cuts on the scalp the bandage will tend to slip upwards along the curve of the head, so wrap it downwardly nether the chin once to keep information technology in place.

Loop the israeli bandage roll behind the superlative end of the pressure bar to change the wrapping direction every bit shown in the video here.

On the Neck

Injuries to the neck tin affect 3 major things; the airway, the blood vessels, or the cervical spine.

When using a pressure bandage on neck wounds the airway needs to be kept open up.

Since the major claret vessels in your neck run along either side of the trachea, nosotros're generally worried virtually major bleeding from cuts to the side of the neck as opposed to the front or back.

The goal is to put pressure on the blood vessels while still assuasive the patient to breathe. To practise so, place the absorption pad on the wounded side of the cervix and wrap the israeli bandage down under the opposite armpit.

For cervical spine injuries encounter SAM splints.

Securing a Splint

When dealing with a fractured limb, pressure bandages can be used in conjunction with a SAM splint to brand an extremely robust splint.

After molding the SAM splint around the fractured limb, wrap the emergency cast around the limb and the splint in the usual way.
With each loop of the rubberband wrap motion along the length of the splint, so that near or all of the limb is held tight to the SAM splint.

Specialized Types of Israeli Bandage

Although the basic bandage will work for almost all applications, there are 2 other types of israeli bandages used to care for big wounds or wounds with an entry and exit pigsty.

Actress Large Emergency Bandage

On the Abdomen

This product has a 12x12in (30x30cm) absorption pad with an 8in (20cm) elastic wrap.

In that location is a thin sheet of plastic covering the pad. This prevents abdominal wounds from drying out, protects sensitive tissue from sticking to the absorption pad, and helps seal the wound against outside contaminants.

Extra large emergency trauma bandage Extra Large Israeli Bandage

The application method is much the aforementioned as the bones israeli cast, but there are several singled-out differences:

On this model the pressure level bar is not in the eye of the absorption pad because the force per unit area bar serves a unlike purpose for large wounds like burns or road rash. These won't benefit from focused loftier pressure since whatever bleeding will exist spread out over a large area. Instead, the first priority is protecting the cleanliness.

Commonly, your pare acts every bit a barrier betwixt yous and the outside globe; when cut, bleeding helps prevent infection past pushing dirt and debris out of the body, merely with wounds covering a large surface area the skin is either damaged or removed and you lot've lost that barrier.

To foreclose infection make sure all sides of the assimilation pad are covered past the elastic wrap then no dirt can sideslip in the sides.

The other reason the pressure bar is located on the far side of the pad is for torso wounds. The placement lets you lot embrace more than of the pad with elastic wrap by saving a revolution of the wrap around the body.

On Amputations

When using the large bandage for limb amputations, pull off the plastic comprehend canvass, and wrap the pad over the stump of the amputated limb to create a protective loving cup.
Wrap the elastic around the limb higher up the amputation. Do not put force per unit area straight on the terminate of the amputation site; instead, the pressure bar goes on the limb above the amputation.
Wrap like normal until the last few revolutions. To make the cast like a tourniquet twist the elastic for the last several revolutions every bit you wrap then that information technology's a round narrow band instead of a wide and flat canvas.
Slip the plastic closure hook under the wrap and twist until the haemorrhage stops. If yous have information technology, a tourniquet is more suited for this application.

Entry/Exit Cast

The entry/get out bandage is the same as the normal israeli bandage, simply it has a second pad for wounds like gunshots that take both an entry and leave wound.

Make sure to put the pressure bar on the larger wound, and the secondary absorption pad on the smaller wound.

Tips and Recommendations

Before using the israeli emergency bandage to stop haemorrhage, pack the wound with hemostatic gauze. This will crusade the blood to jell faster and put more pressure on the wound.
If you utilize hemostatic gauze, stick the wrapper into the bandage wraps, so the doctor knows what treatment you used.
When unrolling the cast try not to touch on the white sterile absorption pad to keep it as clean as possible before applying it to the wound.
When using a normal israeli cast on burns or other large surface area wounds, glaze the assimilation pad with B&Due west Ointment to assistance prevent infection and seal the area.

Summary

Treats major bleeding
Comes vacuum sealed and sterile
Single use/non-reusable
Use with hemostatic gauze for best operation

Boosted Resources

Unlike Procedures for the Emergency Bandage
How to Employ an Israeli Cast on the Cervix
Using a Trauma Bandage on the Head
Applying an Emergency Cast on Limbs

References

Lawson, Ballad, Lynn Juliano, and Catherine R. Ratliff. "Does sterile or nonsterile technique make a difference in wounds healing by secondary intention?." Ostomy/wound management 49.four (2003): 56-8.