How to Make a Sling & Swathe out of a Shirt

When the integrity of a bone is disrupted, a fracture occurs. Arm fractures or dislocations can easily occur due to a fall, even at low velocity or height. If you or a partner is injured in an area that is not easily accessible to emergency crews, first aid may be required. A sling and swathe is material that is used to support an injured arm during the healing process. If professional equipment is not available, a sling and swathe can be fashioned from a shirt.

Things You'll Need

• Shirt

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Inspect the injured area. Locate the site of the fracture.

• 2

  Feel for a pulse above and below the injury. A diminished or absent pulse distal to the fracture indicates vascular compromise as a result of the fracture.

• 3

  Cover any open wounds with gauze or pieces of fabric if no gauze is available. Protruding bone ends should be covered as well. Do not attempt to push bone back into the skin.

• 4

  Cut or tear a shirt into a triangular shape. Remove one long strip from the bottom of the triangle. Tie a knot on the shortest end of the triangle.

• 5

  Place the injured arm in the center of the material so that the knot you have just tied rests near their elbow.

• 6

  Pull the top piece of material up over the uninjured limb. Wrap the bottom material around the back of the neck

• 7

  Tie the material in a secure knot just below the neck. The knot should rest primarily on the uninjured side to prevent undue stress to the injured site.

• 8

  Wrap the long piece of material you have left around the torso of the injured person and over the top of the sling to create the swathe. The purpose of the swathe is to stabilize the sling. Make sure the swathe does not directly cover the site of the fracture.

• 9

  Check the pulse of the injured arm. If the pulse is weaker than the first time you felt it, you may need to loosen the sling.