A bandage should be snug but not so tight as to impede blood circulation. The question of how tight is always difficult. One may have remove and replace a bandage a time or two in order to find the happy medium. Even then, the swelling may decline and the bandage become too loose, or the injured tissues may swell and the bandage become too tight. A bandage applied to the leg, the arm, or a finger should be double checked occasionally to make sure the tissues beyond the bandage toward the extremities are warm and of normal color.
It may be advisable to place strips of adhesive tape over a bandage to keep it from shifting. These can extend beyond the bandage so as to anchor it to the skin. The loose ened of the bandage can be fastened either by the use of adhesive tape or, in the case of a roller bandage, by tearing or cutting the bandage down the center for few inches, tying the loose ends with a simple knot and then using them as straps, one passing in one direction and one the other, to serve as a final tie.
Kinds of Bandages
The Roller Bandage = This is made of muslim cloth or of gauze prepared especially for bandages and designed to stretch slightly so that it conforms to the shape of the part being bandaged. Roller bandage material, because usually sterile when packaged, can be applied to a would which has been cleansed. Roller bandage material comes in various widths from about one half inch to four inches, the narrower widths being for fingers and toes. Roller bandages may need to be reinforced by the use of adhesive strips.
The Triangular Bandage = This has several uses. It is usually made from a piece of muslin, the size varying with the particular use in each case.
