During a search, medical personnel should remove and replace bandages. If no medical personnel are available, ______.

• A. Have the inmate lift the bandage
• B. Remove the bandage yourself
• C. Ask the inmate to maintain bandage
• D. Cancel the search

Answer: (A)

The important idea here is to protect the inmate and the wound by not removing a bandage without medical training. When medical personnel aren’t available, the safest option is to avoid taking the dressing off and instead have the inmate lift the bandage so you can see the area without altering or removing the wound protection. This minimizes the risk of bleeding, infection, or reopening the wound, while still allowing the search or assessment to proceed.

Removing the bandage yourself could cause harm or aggravate a wound. Asking the inmate to maintain or keep the bandage in place doesn’t provide access for inspection. Canceling the search isn’t necessary if the dressing can be observed without removal.