Injury Compression

The value of using injury compression techniques will be well known by anyone who has been trained to any basic level in the treatment of injury.

Why Do It

Compressing an injured body part helps to reduce any bleeding or swellling in and around the affected structures. It is purely a mechanical effect caused by applying external pressure usually in the form of a bandage that increases the pressure locally in the the body making it difficult for fluid to pass out of the blood vessels into the surrounding tissues.

When To Do It

The sooner injury compression is applied after the assessment the less the swelling will tend to be.

Types of Swelling

There are two types of swelling that occur after injury. One is blood and the other is a clear fluid known as tissue fluid, plasma or inflammatory exudate. There may be both or just one of them in evidence depending on the nature of the particular injury.

If the injury damages blood vessels then blood will leak out into the surrounding area and result in what is commonly known as a bruise or haematoma. The swelling that occurs as a result of bleeding tends to occur faster the sweling caused by tissue fluid. If the blood is visible on the surface of the body it will give the characteristic 'black and blue' appearance of a bruise. The blood showing under the skin may well have 'tracked' away from the site of injury by flowing between structures of the body often under the influence of gravity.

If blood vessels remain intact then injury may result in the flow of tissue fluid or inflammatory exudate out of the surrounding blood vessels into the injured area. This fluid is essentially blood without the red blood cells. It 'leaks' out via openings that appear in the blood vessel wall as a response to injury. It has a high concentration of protein, which are the building blocks of the body and all of the different types of white blood cells.

What Happens

It is these white blood cells that are heavily involved in minimising damage, clearing and preparing the site for repair. It is not that we wish to totally stop them from entering the area where thay are needed but that it has been found to be beneficial to prevent excesses getting into surrounding spaces as it increases local tissue pressure and thereby over inhibits movement and helpful physiological repair processes.

What To Do

So, by applying a carefully graded pressure bandage or garment excess swelling can be avoided. This results in less pain, better mobility and improved healing times. Compression should be monitored and removed to check the area and apply ice if necessary before re-application. This should normally be done every four hours or so but this is not an exact time rule.

Injury compression may need to be used for up to forty eight/seventy two hours after injury to prevent further swelling occurring. After this time a different strapping or support may be necessary to aid rehabilitation. Care must always be taken to observe the compressed area and any parts distal to it for signs of circulatory impairment cause by compression being too great.

Beware

If the area changes colour, goes pale, feels cold or the person complains of pins and needles or numbness the compression should be removed immediately and medical advice sought without delay if the symptoms do not settle within a short time.

Diabetic patients and people with other circulaltory disorders should always exercise caution when using compression.

Injury compression is an important step in Initial Injury Management. Find out about the whole process here