2-9.
APPLY AND SECURE THE FIELD DRESSING
NOTE:
This paragraph assumes that you have a field first-aid dressing and will
apply it to an open wound.
After you have exposed the wound and checked the circulation, apply the field
dressing to the wound and secure the dressing using the following procedures.
a. Obtain a Field Dressing.
(1) If the soldier has a field dressing in his plastic individual first aid case,
use his field dressing in order to conserve your supplies. If he does not have a field
dressing available, use a field dressing from your aid bag.
(2) If the wound is large, you may need to improvise a dressing and
bandage from the cleanest materials available.
b. Remove the Field Dressing From the Wrappers.
(1) Locate the notch (slit) in one end of the plastic envelope containing the
field dressing.
(2) Beginning at the notch, tear the plastic envelope open and remove the
inner packet. The packet is the field dressing in a paper wrapper. Discard the plastic
envelope (unless you need it to seal an open chest wound as described in Lesson 3).
(3)
Grasp the packet with both hands and twist until the paper wrapper
breaks.
(4) Remove the field dressing from the paper wrapper and discard the
paper wrapper. Avoid touching the white dressing pad of the field dressing. The pad
is sterile and should be kept as free from contamination as possible. Hold on to the
tails only.
c. Apply the Dressing to the Wound.
(1)
Grasp the folded tails of the field dressing with both hands (figure
2-8 A.)
(2) Hold the field dressing above the exposed wound with the sterile pad of
dressing material toward the wound.
(3)
Pull on the tails so the dressing opens and flattens (figure 2-8 B).
(4) Place the white dressing pad directly on the wound
(figures 2-8 C and D).
MD0554
2-13