The ‘gladiator’ paediatric dressing protector

Background

Dressing the paediatric hand can be challenging for many reasons.^1–3 Preventing a toddler from removing dressings following hand surgery is difficult for parents and health professionals. One of the most common dressings used to protect the hand is the ‘boxing glove’ dressing, which has many modifications in an attempt to outwit the child and is safe even after tendon repair.⁴ Children find dressings fascinating and, despite best attempts, many manage to take them apart, even with careful supervision. We present a simple technique developed by the child’s mother to protect the boxing glove dressing after previous ‘Houdini-like’ escapes from its confines.

Technique

A pair of tights or leggings in the correct size for the child’s age is acquired. An incision is made in the seat of the garment, through which the child’s head is passed. The waist of the garment now sits around the child’s chest. The contralateral leg of the garment is cut to allow the non-operated arm to be free. The ipsilateral leg is kept intact and the dressed upper limb sits within it like a sock, thus preventing tampering and maintaining the security of the dressing (Fig 1). This resembles the armour worn by the Roman gladiators, hence the name.

Figure 1.

The gladiator dressing protector

Discussion

This simple modification prevents the toddler from removing their hand dressing and offers some protection from food and dirt. The protector is easy to make, can be washed and is made from a cheap, readily available garment. The advantage over a simple sock is that this modification is far more robust and is very difficult for the child to remove.