Emergency Nose Stabilization: First Aid & Taping Techniques

It is recommended that anyone with a broken nose see a medical professional for treatment. If you are in an emergency situation where medical attention is not possible, it would be in your best interest to learn basic first-aid techniques. Improper handling of a broken nose could cause severe injuries to the person in question, so be aware of the safest way to set and tape the nose until medical help is available.

Things You'll Need

• Gauze
• Medical tape

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Instructions

• 1

  Assess the injury to be sure it can be taped. If the person is severely disfigured, unable to breathe, or there is any bone or cartilage protruding from the injury, do not treat the person. Surgery is usually needed to set the nose in these cases.

• 2

  Drain the blood from inside the nose. Ask the injured person to sit upright with his head forward.

• 3

  Move the nose back into its proper place and stuff some gauze into the nose to keep it stable.

• 4

  Place medical tape across the bridge of the nose, on the outside, to prevent the nose from slipping back into a displaced position.