band age
(ban'dăj 
)
- A piece of soft, usually absorbent gauze or other material applied to a limb or other part of the body as a dressing.
- To cover by wrapping with a piece of gauze or other material.
Skin-to-skin contact will, if continuous, cause ulceration or infection.
Band ages are used to hold dressings in place, apply pressure to a part, immobilize a part, obliterate cavities, support an injured area, and check hemorrhages. Types of band ages include roller, triangular, four-tailed, many-tailed (Scultetus), quadrangular, elastic (elastic knit, rubber, synthetic, or combinations of these), adhesive, elastic adhesive, newer cohesive band ages under various proprietary names, impregnated band ages (plaster of Paris, waterglass [silica], starch), and stockinet. Use of a self-adhering, form-fitting roller band age facilitates band aging by eliminating the special techniques needed when ordinary gauze roller band ages are used.
SEE: illus. ; sling.
abdominal b.A single wide cravat or several narrow ones used to hold a dressing in place or to exert moderate pressure.
adhesive b.A band age made of adhesive tape.
amputation-stump b.An elastic band age applied to an amputation stump to control postoperative edema and to shape the stump. The elastic band age is applied in a recurrent or figure-of-eight fashion with more pressure applied to the distal, rather than the proximal, portion of the limb.
ankle b.A band age in which one loop is brought around the sole of foot and the other around the ankle and is secured in front or on the side.
axilla b.A band age with a spica-type turn starting under the affected axilla, crossing over the shoulder of the affected side, and making the long loop under the opposite armpit.
back b.An open band age to the back, applied like a chest band age, the point placed above the scapula of the injured side.
SEE: Barton band age.
breast b.A suspensory band age and compress for the breasts.
butterfly b.An adhesive band age used in place of sutures to hold wound edges together. Filmy sterile adhesive strips have replaced the butterfly band age.
capeline b.A band age applied to the head or shoulder or to a stump like a cap or hood.
chest b.A band age that is applied to the chest, e.g., figure of eight (spica), but does not affect expansion of the chest.
circular b.A band age applied in circular turns about a part.
SEE: Band aging with Circular and Spiral Turns
cohesive b.A band age made of material that sticks to itself but not to other substances, used to band age fingers and extremities or to build up pads.
cravat b.A triangular band age folded to form a band around an injured part.
cravat b. for clenched fist A hand band age to arrest bleeding or to produce pressure. The wrist is placed on the center of the cravat; one end is brought around over the fist and back to the starting point, and the same procedure is then repeated with the other end. The two ends are pulled tight, twisted, and carried around the fist again so that pressure is placed on the flexed fingers.
cravat elbow b.A band age in which the elbow is bent about 45° and the center of the band age is placed over the point of the elbow. One end is brought around the forearm and the other end around the upper arm; the band age is pulled tight and tied.
SEE: sling.
cravat b. for fracture of clavicle A band age in which one first puts a soft pad 2 × 4 in (5.1 × 10.2 cm) in the forepart of the axilla. A sling is made by placing the point of the open band age on the affected shoulder; the hand and wrist are laid on it and directed toward the opposite shoulder, and the point is brought over and tucked underneath the wrist and hand . The ends are then lifted; the band age is laid flat on the chest; the covered hand is carried up on the shoulder; the ends are brought together in the back and tied, the tightness being decided by how high the shoulder should be carried. A cravat band age is then applied horizontally above the broad part of the elbow and tied over a pad on the opposite side of the chest. Tightening this cravat retracts the shoulders and scapulae.
SEE: T band age.
demigauntlet b.A band age that covers the hand but leaves the fingers uncovered.
ear b.A T band age for the ear. A piece is sewn across the right angle of the T band age.
elastic b.A band age that can be stretched to exert continuous pressure. It usually is made of special weaves or of material containing rubber and is used on swollen extremities or joints, on the chest in empyema, on fractured ribs, or on the legs to support varicose veins.
SEE: Esmarch band age.
eye b.A band age for retaining dressings. The simple roller band age for one eye or the monocle or crossed band age. The binocular or crossed band age for both eyes is 2 in × 6 yd (5.1 cm × 5.49 m).
figure-of-eight b.A band age in which the turns cross each other like the figure eight, used to retain dressings, to exert pressure for joints (or to leave the joint uncovered), to fix splints for the foot or hand , for the great toe, and for sprains or hemorrhage.
SEE: Apply Band ages: Figure 8
finger b.A roller band age with oblique fixation at the wrist.
foot b.A triangular band age in which the foot is placed on the triangle with the base of the band age backward and behind the ankle, and the apex carried upward over the top of the foot. The ends are brought forward, folded once or twice, crossed and carried around the foot, and tied on top.
forearm b.A triangular open sling band age for support of the forearm.
four-tailed b.A strip of cloth with each end split into two. The tails are used to cover prominences such as elbow, chin, nose, or knee.
SEE: Fricke band age.
groin b.A band age that is most easily applied with the patient stand ing or lying on a pelvic rest. A spica band age encircles the trunk and the crossing is placed either anteriorly or laterally. To band age both groins, the double spica is used. Such a double band age is used principally in applying a plaster cast.
hand b.A demigauntlet band age that secures a dressing on the back of the hand . For thumb and hand , the ascending spica of the thumb, with spiral of the hand , is used. A triangular band age is used for an open band age of the hand . A descending spica is used for the thumb and figure-of-eight band age for an amputation stump or clenched fist.
head b.Any band age applied to the head, usually by wrap-around technique, that uses bony prominences as anchors or stays, and that carefully and completely covers the site of injury or the suture line.
heel b.A triangular band age used for the heel.
hip b.A triangular open band age of the hip. A cravat band age or other band is tied around the waist; the point of another band age is slipped under and rolled or pinned directly above the position of the wound. The base is rolled up and the ends are carried around the thigh, crossed, and tied.
Variant: immovable band age
A band age for immobilizing a part.impregnated b.A wide-meshed band age used to make molds or immobilize parts of the body. The material is impregnated with a substance such as plaster of Paris, which is applied wet and hardens after drying.
knee b.A knee cravat in which triangular and the figure-of-eight band ages are used.
leg b.A band age applied by fixing the initial end by a circular or oblique fixation at the ankle or with a figure-of-eight of the foot and ankle.
many-tailed b.A band age or binder with split ends used for the trunk and limbs; a piece of roller to which slips are stitched in an overlapping pattern.
SEE: four-tailed band age; Scultetus, Johannes.
SEE: Martin band age.
neck b.Neck spica: Band age 212 in × 8 yd (6.4 cm × 7.3 m). Band age following thyroid gland surgery: Roller band age 212 in × 9 yd (6.4 cm × 8.2 m). Adhesive plaster band age for thyroidectomy: Used to hold dressing on wound in place. A small dressing is applied to center of strip and then applied to back of neck. Special band age: A double-loop band age of the head and neck made by using a figure-of-eight turn.
oblique b.A band age applied obliquely to a limb, without reverses.
plaster b.A band age stiffened with a paste of plaster of Paris, which sets and becomes very hard.
SEE: cast (4).
pressure b.A band age for applying pressure, usually used to stop hemorrhage or prevent edema.
protective b.A band age that covers a part or keeps dressings in place.
quadrangular b.A towel or large hand kerchief, folded variously and applied as a band age of head, chest, breast, or abdomen.
recurrent b.A band age over the end of a stump.
reversed b.A band age applied to a limb in such a way that the roller is inverted or half twisted at each turn so as to make it fit smoothly and resist slipping off the limb.
SEE: spiral reverse band age.
roller b.A long strip of soft material, usually from 12 to 6 in (1.3 to 15.2 cm) wide and 2 to 5 yd (1.83 to 4.57 m) long, rolled on its short axis. When rolled from both ends to meet at the center, it is called a double-headed roller.
rubber b.A rubber roller band age used to apply pressure to prevent swelling or hemorrhage of a limb.
SEE: Esmarch band age.
SEE: under Scultetus, Johannes.
shoulder b.An open band age of the shoulder (spica band age); a shawl band age of both shoulders and neck.
smart b.A removable wireless monitor that attaches to a patient and monitors blood pressure, cardiac rhythm, pulse, respiratory rate, and volume status.
spica b.A band age in which a number of figure-of-eight turns are applied, each a little higher or lower, overlapping a portion of each preceding turn so as to give an imbricated appearance. This type of band age is used to support, to exert pressure, or to retain dressings on the breast, shoulder, limbs, thumb, great toe, and hernia at the groin.
SEE: basic thumb spica
spiral b.A roller band age to be applied spirally.
spiral reverse b.A technique of twisting, in its long axis, a roller band age on itself at intervals during application to make it fit more uniformly. These reverse folds may be necessary every turn or less often, depending on the contour of the part being band aged.
stellate b.A band age that is wrapped crosswise on the back or shoulder.
suspensory b.A band age for supporting any part but esp. the breast or scrotum.
T b.A band age shaped like the letter T and used for the female perineum and , in certain cases, the head. SYN: buttocks band age; T binder.
tailed b.A band age split at the end.
triangular b.A square band age folded diagonally. When folded, the several thicknesses can be applied to afford support.
SEE: under Velpeau, Alfred.
SEE: closed basket weave