Bandage Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.
These are the MediaLab courses that cover Bandage and links to relevant pages within the course.
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| Pressure Bandage If bleeding stops or slows significantly, a pressure bandage may be applied to hold the compress in place.The bandage should be tight enough to maintain pressure over the wound, but not tight enough to cut off circulation. | View Page |
| If a co-worker sustains an electrical burn, what action should be taken once the source of electricity has been disconnected? | View Page |
| Routine Venipuncture equipment continued Basic equipment includes: Alcohol swab, Bandage, Tube(s), Needle, Needle holderDo not remove the needle cover until you are ready to perform the venipuncture. | View Page |
| Apply adhesive pressure Be certain bleeding has stopped, then apply a bandage. | View Page |
| Finger stick - Specimen collection continued Collect blood into an appropriate tube.Label specimens appropriately.Make sure bleeding has stopped. Apply an adhesive bandage if necessary.Discard sharps appropriately. | View Page |
| Heelstick - Apply sterile gauze After collection is completed, apply pressure to the puncture site with a sterile gauze pad until bleeding has stopped.Do not apply an adhesive bandage to an infant’s foot since it may injure its delicate skin. | View Page |
| Bandage the incision Bandage the incision site.Bleeding time in minutes is easily calculated as the total number of blots at 30 second intervals divided by two.
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| Remove iodine Clean the venipuncture site with alcohol to remove all the iodine from the patients arm, then apply a bandage.
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| Cleansing the Venipuncture Site The product used most often to cleanse and disinfect the site prior to venipuncture is 70% isopropyl alcohol in towelette form. Alternative cleansing agents available are chlorhexadine gluconate (chloraprep) and povidone-iodine which are used mainly for collection of blood cultures, blood alcohol specimens, or when the patient is sensitive to alcohol.The alcohol should be applied using a circular target motion, as demonstrated in the image. This technique pushes the bacteria away from the inside of the venipuncture site to the outside. The alcohol must be allowed to air dry for approximately one minute prior to venipuncture to properly disinfect site, prevent hemolysis of the specimen, and avoid discomfort for the patient. Gauze should be used when applying pressure to the venipuncture site immediately after the needle is withdrawn. Adequate pressure to stop bleeding is crucial to avoid formation of a hematoma or bruise. Cotton balls should not be used to apply pressure to stop bleeding because the clot formed may be dislodged by residual cotton fibers as the cotton ball is pulled away from the site.Paper tape or a bandage is used to cover the wound after bleeding has stopped to prevent disruption of the clot. | View Page |
| Venipuncture Procedure At a Glance Required Step Description Step #1 Wash your hands. Clean your hands with soap and water or gel cleanser. Step #2 Positively identify patient using unique identifiers. Ask the patient to state his/her first and last name; if the patient is unable to give you this information, ask the patient's caregiver to confirm the patient's name. A second unique identifier must also be used. Step #3 Special test requirements Determine if the test to be obtained has any special requirements. For example, should the patient be fasting? Is this a timed test? If any requirements are not met, consult with the caregiver to determine a course of action. Step #4 Prepare the patient Explain the procedure to the patient and obtain cooperation. Usually the patient will extend an arm. (This is a form of implied consent.) Position the arm for venipuncture; support the arm on a firm surface; the arm should be in a downward position. Step #5 Site determination The patient can make a fist, but should not pump the hand open and closed. Apply tourniquet Palpate the vein. Release the tourniquet and assemble appropriate equipment. Step #6 Aseptic technique Wear gloves that have not been altered in any way. Cleanse site with approved disinfectant. Allow the disinfectant to air-dry to avoid hemolysis of the specimen and discomfort to the patient. Step #7 Specimen collection Re-apply tourniquet about 3-4 inches above puncture site, insert needle, bevel-side up, at about a 30° angle, and collect specimens. Remove needle and immediately activate the safety device. Mix specimens by gentle inversion 5-10 times. Step #8 Patient care Apply direct pressure to stop bleeding at puncture site; do not have patient bend arm as this may cause a hematoma to form. After about 2 minutes, check the puncture site to verify that bleeding has stopped. Apply bandage if appropriate. Thank the patient for his/her cooperation. Step #9 Specimen labeling Label specimen(s) in the presence of the patient including all the information that is required by your facility. Check the labeled tubes a second time against the patient's wristband to verify labeling accuracy. A professional phlebotomist follows the procedure in the same way for every venipuncture. This ensures that none of the vital steps are omitted. The phlebotomist who is consistent in performance and who concentrates fully to obtain a quality specimen is an indispensable part of the healthcare team. | View Page |