Immobilization of a arm with a broad arm sling (scarf or triangular bandage)

Authors: Rednenko VV, Poplavets E.V.

Editor: Rednenko V.V.

Equipment for the practical skill:

• triangular bandage
• safety pin
• two rolls of bandage

Clinical situation:      

• A casualty has a forearm injury. You need to immobilize of his arm with a triangular bandage

Order of the skill performance:

Preparatory stage:

• Introduce yourself
• Identify patient
• Obtain informed consent to the procedure
  • Give all the information to the person about what the procedure involves, including the benefits and risks, whether there are reasonable alternative, and what will happen without this procedure
  • Explain what you are going to do.
  • Ask the patient to consent to procedure.
• Prepare the triangular bandage 
  • unfold the pakage
  • find and place a safety pin apart
  • expand the triangular bandage (scarf)

Main stage:

• Have the person hold the injured arm across the body.

• Slide a triangular bandage under the injured arm with base toward hand and apex toward elbow

• Bring the bottom end of the bandage over the shoulder of the injured side and tie the ends together behind the neck. Knot should be on either side of neck, not in the middle where it could cause discomfort
• Secure the elbow by twisting, tying, or pinning the corner of the bandage.

• Secure the arm to the body with a broad bandage.

• Place one end of triangle over shoulder on injured side and let sling hang down over chest 

 Final stage:

• Check the quality of immobilization.
• Ask the patient about the comfort of the arm position.