Currently, in connection with the active development of medicine, an increasing number of different methods of both diagnosis and treatment are appearing. Various dressings with their own characteristics and overlay technique do not go unnoticed. There is a huge variety of dressings, which, depending on the application (purpose), are divided into aseptic (protective), medicinal, immobilizing, hemostatic, corrective, stretching dressings, as well as occlusive dressings. The latter are necessary for sealing wounds and most often find their application in pneumothorax.
Pneumothorax develops when air enters the chest, this occurs with injuries and injuries of the latter, with a violation of its integrity. When it enters the chest (namely, the pleural cavity, where the atmospheric air pressure is several times lower than in the environment), the air causes an equalization of the pressure difference. As a result, the lung decreases (that is, it decreases significantly in volume and practically does not fulfill its function). In this case, the first aid is an occlusive dressing.
Restoring the integrity of the pleural cavity, this bandage helps to maintain lung function. However, it is important to properly apply an occlusive dressing. For qualified first aid, an individual dressing bag is used. It is a bandage and two cotton-gauze swabs, which are in a sterile rubberized package. An occlusive dressing is performed using a rubberized packing cloth that is firmly pressed against the wound. Cotton swabs are placed over this fabric, which are fixed in several rounds (turns) of the bandage included in the IPP (individual dressing bag).
Due to the fact that a rubberized tissue is applied to the wound that does not allow air to pass through, the integrity of the pleural cavity is restored. An occlusive dressing can be performed in the absence of an individual dressing bag. So, any rubberized fabric (oilcloth) or even a plastic film can be used as this dressing. This material also needs to be pressed firmly against the wound with cotton and bandages.
It is important that the dressing technique is followed correctly. So, to ensure the conservation of the least amount of air between the sheets of the parietal and visceral pleura, it is necessary to perform occlusion (sealing the cavity) at the time of inhalation of the victim. This is due to the fact that at the time of inspiration, part of the air entering the cavity is displaced due to an increase in the volume of the lung. A correctly performed dressing technique will reduce the degree of pneumothorax and maximize the functional activity of the lung.
Today, an occlusive dressing of a pressing type is also used in the treatment of trophic ulcers, however, this technique is not widespread, although its effectiveness has been proven in practice.
Currently, a whole scientific discipline has been developed that describes the techniques for applying a variety of dressings. As for the occlusive dressing, the technique of applying it is duly covered in the "doctrine of dressing" - desmurgy. Its study (theoretical and practical) is carried out by both secondary medical workers and employees with higher medical education (doctors).
The occlusive dressing actually finds its application only to eliminate violations of the integrity of the pleural cavity, with penetrating injuries and injuries of the chest. The correctly performed and, most importantly, timely manipulation will save the life of the victim.