d. Apply the Dressing to the Wound Area. Open the paper-wrapped packet,
remove the dressing from the paper wrapper, open the dressing, and place the white,
sterile dressing pad over the plastic envelope. Avoid touching the sterile part of the
dressing.
(1) If a plastic envelope was not applied to the wound, apply the dressing on
top of the wound.
(2) If an eviscerated organ is present, cover the wound and the organ. Apply
a second dressing or improvised dressing, if needed.
(3) If an object is protruding from the wound, dress the wound. Then
improvise bulky dressings from the cleanest material available and build up the area
around the object to stabilize the object. Do not cover the protruding object.
4-8.
SECURE THE DRESSING
Secure the dressing using the attached bandages. If improvised dressings are
used, secure these dressings with cravats made from muslin bandages or with
improvised bandages.
a. Hold the dressing in place with one hand to keep it from slipping while you are
securing the dressing.
b. When taking a tail around the casualty, grasp the tail and slide it under the
casualty. Reach down on the other side of the casualty, grasp the tail under the casualty,
and pull.
c. Tie the tails in a non-slip knot at the casualty's side, not over the wound. The
bandages should be tight enough to keep the dressing from slipping, but not tight enough
to place excessive pressure on the injury. Pressure could cause additional damage to
the organs of the abdominal cavity. The primary purpose of the dressing and bandages
pressure.
CAUTION:
If an object is protruding from the wound, apply bandages to hold the
bulky dressings in place. Do not wrap the bandages around the
protruding object.
4-9.
DRESS OTHER OPEN ABDOMINAL WOUNDS, IF ANY
If there is more than one open abdominal wound, dress and bandage the other
wound(s) in the same manner. If needed, improvise dressing and bandages from the
cleanest material available.
MD0554
4-5