From a first aid perspective, keep dressing and bandaging as simple as possible. Use sterile dressings whenever possible since they are in direct contact with the wound. Cover the wound entirely to lower the risk of infection. But most importantly, use common sense and the items you have available to you. Because of the unexpected nature of emergencies, it's important to realize that sometimes the ideal medical equipment may not be available. Although a sterile dressing is preferred, a clean towel or shirt will work in a pinch.

Dressings are the gauze or pads you use to cover the wound and stem the blood flow. Bandages are the things that hold dressings in place. Because a bandage is not in direct contact with the wound, it need only be clean rather than sterile. Ideal bandages are tape, cravats or towels cut into strips.

Only apply a bandage tight enough to hold a dressing in place and stop the bleeding. If the dressing becomes soaked with blood, remove the bandage, add more dressings and re-apply the bandage. The blood soaked dressings are acting as an artificial clot so don't remove or discard them. This will only add to the time until the bleeding stops. Please note the examples of dressing and bandaging.