During muscle strain or laceration, gauze is used to support your shoulder and provide pressure to stop bleeding. Wrapping your shoulder is not as simple as you may think, taking time and patience to do it right. Do not wrap your should haphazardly as this can increase injury and fail to stop blood flow of an open wound. Always clean the area before applying gauze or any dressings to your shoulder.
Step 1
Wrap the chest or trunk of your body, making sure that the end of your gauze is firmly underneath the first layer. When wrapping for a laceration, make sure that you apply a sterile pad or bandage before applying your gauze wrapping.
Step 2
Coil the gauze upward, making sure that your gauze is snugly anchored by your upper body. Wrap the gauze around the upper part of your shoulder with 1/2 inch overlapping each coil.
Step 3
Continue wrapping your gauze to the lower shoulder and then back upward. Once you have reached the upper shoulder, take your coils back to your trunk, adding extra support to your body and shoulder. Cut off any excess gauze with a pair of sharp scissors.
Step 4
Tape the free end of your gauze to the nearest coil, making sure that it is securely fastened. You may use more that one or two pieces of medical tape to do so. Some gauze rolls come with pins instead of tape. Make sure that when you use a pin to fasten your gauze that you are careful not to puncture your skin.
Things You'll Need
- Rolled gauze
- Medical tape
- Sharp scissors
References
- Department of the Army Field Manual: Bandages and Dressings
- "Wounds and lacerations: emergency care and closure"; Alexander T. Trott; 2005
- "Diversified health occupations"; Louise Simmers; 2003
