For what purposes are immobilizing dressings used? This is a common question. With many ailments, there is a need to ensure rest of the affected part of the body.
This goal is achieved by applying a special dressing, which will provide the desired location with immobility in a certain position for a long period of time.
What it is?
Immobilization is the immobilization of limbs or other parts of the body. Distinguish the transport form of such immobilization. This is a temporary preventive measure for the period of transportation of the victim. Fractures, joint damage, extensive soft tissue injuries; injury to blood vessels and nerves; anaerobic and general purulent infection; stumps after surgery are all indications for the use of such devices.
The goal of immobilizing dressings is to create a state of immobility for a damaged organ with certain medical indications, which is the main condition for effective therapy. Indications for immobilization are various bone fractures along with joint injuries, ruptures of ligaments, large vessels and nerve trunk.
Types of Immobilizing Dressings
Before immobilization, the patient requires the introduction of painkillers. These dressings include tire and plaster products. Tire dressings have basically support devices in the form of various kinds of tires, which provide temporary immobilization of the affected limb. They are applied directly to the victim’s body. On the extremities, two nearby joints must be immobilized.
With a closed fracture during the application of the tire, it is necessary to slightly extend along the axis of the diseased limb beyond the distal part and fix it in this position. In addition, the following varieties of immobilizing dressings are distinguished:
- Plaster immobilization.
- The use of synthetic bandages.
- The use of modern immobilizing dressings called "Turbocast".
Plaster immobilization and the result of its application
A plaster cast, although it provides a person with the necessary fixation of a diseased limb, can cause great discomfort to the patient:
- Against the background of contact with water, such a bandage can be destroyed, which will not allow the patient to fully wash, take water procedures, and so on.
- It has a relatively large mass.
- May cause discomfort due to adherence of the scalp and the appearance of skin itching.
- Inadequate ventilation increases the risk of pressure sores and scuffs.
- Such a bandage easily crumbles and also breaks.
- Often caused the formation on the skin of the so-called conflict (we are talking about bloody vesicles akin to burns).
The main advantage of the gypsum dressing is its low cost along with ease of manufacture.
Using synthetic bandages
Synthetic bandages, as a rule, are made of fabric, which is impregnated with polyurethane resin and fiberglass is added to it. The advantages of applying immobilizing dressings that are made of synthetic bandages are as follows:
- They have a much lower mass.
- Do not collapse after contact with water.
- Do not break or crumble during use.
- They differ in neat appearance.
The disadvantages of synthetic bandages
But such dressings have significant disadvantages:
- Their removal requires, as a rule, special equipment.
- Sufficient ventilation of the skin of the patient is not provided.
- The polyurethane resin used for impregnation is toxic.
The use of modern dressings called "Turbocast"
A few years ago, a new material appeared in the world, which is used for bandages and individual orthoses. We are talking about low-temperature plastic called "Turbocast". Its main property is harmlessness to the human body, since this material is absolutely non-toxic and not allergenic. Other advantages of such immobilization dressings are the following advantages:
- Light weight along with the size of the dressing.
- Contact of this material with water and other liquid is allowed.
- Existence of excellent ventilation thanks to numerous openings.
- The dressing is likely to be remodeled (that is, for the immobilization dressing you can use the same material instead of buying a new one).
- This material is completely radiolucent.
- Ease of bandage removal (as a rule, the use of special tools is not required). It can be removed at any time in order to conduct a physiotherapeutic event or hygienic treatment.
- The material is allowed for use in children's orthopedics.
- The bandage from "Turbocast" has an aesthetic and neat appearance.
In modern clinics for patients, as a rule, absolutely all of these materials are available for the manufacture of immobilizing dressings. True, it is worth remembering that the listed varieties are far from always interchangeable. The selection of the best option should be carried out only by a doctor. Next, we will talk about how an immobilizing dressing is applied.
Overlay technique
Creating peace for damaged organs with the help of such dressings, a number of rules are required to be observed:
- A bandage is applied in order to provide reliable immobilization to a person. When applying, it must be remembered that usually in case of a limb fracture, the fracture site and two nearby joints should be fixed (one above and the other below the area of injury). Against the background of a hip fracture, three joints are immobilized, that is, the knee, hip and ankle.
- Before performing immobilization, it is necessary to prepare the tire, namely, lay it with cotton and gauze throughout or put on a special cover on it. Then cover the protruding parts with gauze pads to avoid pressure sores.
- As part of the application of the tire, they give the damaged limbs a mid-physiological position that relieves muscle tension. This can be achieved by slightly bending large joints directly at an angle of five to ten degrees.
- With a closed bone fracture, immediately before applying the tire, carefully stretch the limb along the axis. The tire itself is superimposed on top of clothes and shoes.
What other rules should you know when applying these dressings?
The following rules must also be observed:
- With an open fracture, it is impossible to produce traction and reduction of bone fragments. They must be fixed in the position that they acquired as a result of the injury.
- With an open fracture, it is necessary to impose a pressure bandage on the wound, and if there is a need to stop bleeding, a tourniquet is used, and then a tire. The tourniquet is superimposed on top of the clothes (it must be visible only). The cover sheet indicates the time of application. A tourniquet on the limbs can be kept for no more than one hour.
- In the event that it becomes necessary to remove clothing from an injured person, it is first removed from a healthy leg or arm, and then from a damaged one. Clothes are put on in the reverse order, that is, first on a damaged limb, and then on a healthy one.
Next, find out for what purpose immobilizing dressings are used.
When are such dressings necessary in medicine?
In fact, there are many options for using this tool. An immobilizing dressing is necessary for fixation in the presence of damage to bones, blood vessels, joints and nerves. With extensive damage to soft tissues, there is also a need for their use. Rest for damaged organs is created by special standard tires of Diterichs and Kramer.
Against the background of the lack of standard tires, immobilization is provided by improvised means (plywood, board, rail, stick, skis of the required strength and size). And also in special circumstances (when the necessary materials are not at hand), you can fix a damaged arm or leg to a healthy limb.
It is worth noting that the variety of immobilizing dressings largely depends on the location of the lesions. The technique of applying them is quite simple, however, certain knowledge is required along with skills. Next, we discuss the essence and advantages of immobilizing polymer dressings.
Polymer dressings
Their obvious advantage lies in the ease of wearing. When using such a remedy, the patient, as a rule, does not feel constrained in the literal sense of the word, since his position is similar to the fact that the leg or arm immediately after the fracture is tied up with an elastic simple tourniquet. At the same time, the materials of which such a product is made are extremely durable.
The polymer immobilizing material has been created as an alternative to plaster casts. They are waterproof and light, waterproof, and have low radiopacity. Such a dressing can withstand functional load forty minutes after application. A polymer immobilizing material is made of synthetic fibers, then impregnated with a polyurethane resin, which hardens in the presence of water.
Immobilizing polymer dressings can completely replace traditional plaster in the treatment of fractures. The combination of unusual lightness and strength of this material (five times lighter than gypsum) makes its use much more comfortable.
It is worth emphasizing that the materials from which the polymer dressings are made are completely non-toxic, and therefore can not provoke allergic reactions along with dermatological irritations in the patient. Thus, we examined the basic information about immobilizing dressings.