Question

question 6
you are providing care to a 28 - year - old female who sustained a large wound to her left arm while working in the garden. blood is flowing freely from the wound. a sterile dressing has been applied. based on this information, you should apply a bandage:
○ tight enough to maintain direct pressure and stop the bleeding.
○ firmly enough to stop bleeding but loosely enough that a radial pulse is present after the application.
○ loosely with just enough pressure to keep the dressing in place.
○ loosely to keep the dressing in place but maintaining direct pressure with your hands

Explanation:

When applying a bandage to a wound with bleeding, it needs to be firm enough to stop the bleeding (to control the hemorrhage). However, it should not be so tight that it completely cuts off circulation (a radial pulse indicates some level of normal circulation). A bandage that is too loose won't stop the bleeding (eliminates "loosely with just enough pressure to keep the dressing in place" and "loosely to keep the dressing in place but maintaining direct pressure with your hands"). A bandage that is too tight (beyond just firm enough) can cause complications like tissue damage due to lack of blood flow (eliminates "tight enough to maintain direct pressure and stop the bleeding" - as this implies just tight, not considering circulation check via radial pulse).

Answer:

firmly enough to stop bleeding but loosely enough that a radial pulse is present after the application.