// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy was the bandage upset? It was feeling wrapped up.
 Modern gauze bandage: Small sizes, individually packaged to ensure sterility. Thanks to its fine structure, it can be easily torn without the use of tools. | |
| Type | Medical equipment |
|---|---|
A bandage is a piece of material or a medical device used as support for a wound or injury, or to provide compression.[1] Bandages used in healing protect the area from contamination and further trauma.[2] Tight bandages can be used to slow blood flow to an extremity, such as when a leg or arm is bleeding heavily.[3]
History
[edit]Types
[edit]Gauze / Roller bandage
[edit]The most common type of bandage is the gauze bandage,[4] a woven strip of material. A gauze bandage can come in any number of widths and lengths and can be used for almost any bandage application, including holding a dressing in place.[5]
Adhesive bandage
[edit]Liquid bandage
[edit]Compression bandage
[edit]Compression bandages, or elastic bandages, refers to a wide variety of bandages with many different applications such as with kinesio tape used in sports medicine.[6]
- Short stretch compression bandages are applied to a limb (usually for treatment of lymphedema or venous ulcers).[7] This type of bandage is capable of shortening around the limb after application and is therefore not exerting ever-increasing pressure during inactivity. This dynamic is called resting pressure and is considered safe and comfortable for long-term treatment. Conversely, the stability of the bandage creates a very high resistance to stretch when pressure is applied through internal muscle contraction and joint movement. This force is called working pressure.
- Long stretch compression bandages have long stretch properties, meaning that their high compressive power can be easily adjusted. However, they also have a very high resting pressure and must be removed at night or if the patient is in a resting position.[8]
Triangular bandage
[edit]
Also known as a cravat bandage, a triangular bandage is a piece of cloth put into a right-angled triangle, and often provided with safety pins to secure it in place. It can be used fully unrolled as a sling, folded as a normal bandage, or for specialized applications, such as on the head.[9] The Scouting movement popularized the use of this bandage in many of their first aid lessons, as a part of the uniform is a neckerchief which can easily be folded to form a cravat.[10]
Kirigami bandage
[edit]A new type of bandage was invented in 2016; inspired by the art of kirigami, it uses parallel slits to better fit areas of the body that bend. The bandages have been produced with 3D-printed molds.[11]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Law, Jonathan; Martin, Elizabeth, eds. (2020). Oxford Concise Medical Dictionary (10 ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780191873768.
- ↑ Miller, Gabriella M.; Abraham, Michael K. (March 7, 2025). "Pitfalls of Wound Management". In Goyal, Deepi G.; Mattu, Amal (eds.). Urgent Care Emergencies: Avoiding the Pitfalls and Improving the Outcomes (2 ed.). Wiley. pp. 61–67. doi:10.1002/9781394205714.ch6. ISBN 978-1-394-20568-4. Retrieved Aug 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Compression bandage: how it works and when it helps". onno. 2026-03-24. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
- ↑ "What Are the Different Types of Bandages?". morSafe. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
- ↑ "The use of gauze: will it ever change?". National Library of Medicine. 2006-06-19. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
- ↑ Biz, Carlo; Nicoletti, Pietro; Tomasin, Matteo; Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi; Di Rubbo, Giuseppe; Ruggieri, Pietro (April 29, 2022). "Is Kinesio Taping Effective for Sport Performance and Ankle Function of Athletes with Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI)? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis". Medicina. 58 (5): 620. doi:10.3390/medicina58050620. ISSN 1648-9144. PMC 9146435. PMID 35630037.
- ↑ Berszakiewicz, Andrzej; Sieroń, Aleksander; Krasiński, Zbigniew; Cholewka, Armand; Stanek, Agata. "Compression therapy in venous diseases: current forms of compression materials and techniques". Postepy Dermatologii I Alergologii. 37 (6): 836–841. doi:10.5114/ada.2019.86991. ISSN 1642-395X. PMC 7874882. PMID 33603599.
- ↑ "Dauerbinde® K Long Stretch Bandage". www.performancehealth.com. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ↑ "How to Use a Triangular Bandage". Steroplast. 2022-08-10. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
- ↑ "First Aid Skill Activities". Scouting America. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
- ↑ "Paper-folding art inspires better bandages". MIT News Office. 27 March 2018.
External links
[edit]
- "Use of Paper Dressings for Wounds", Popular Science, February 1919, page 68, scanned by Google Books: https://books.google.com/books?id=7igDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA68
- "A Mechanical Helper for the Red Cross, Popular Science, February 1919, page 74, scanned by Google Books: https://books.google.com/books?id=7igDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA74
