Sterile Procedures
LESSON 4: Procedures Used in Wound Care
4-4
4-4. REQUIREMENT TO CHANGE OR REINFORCE A DRESSING
a. The physician or the supervisor orders when the dressing will be applied and how often the dressing will be changed. The order will also specify if the wound is to be cleaned.
b. Under field conditions, in the absence of a physician's or supervisor's order, the medical specialist assumes the responsibility for changing a dressing.
c. Sometimes a dressing may need changing because it is soaked with seepage from the wound. If the circumstances or the physician's or supervisor's order prohibits the change, reinforce the area by covering it with another dressing. Label it "reinforcement" and write the date, time, and your initials on it.
