fracture and dislocation.docx
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1. The document provides information on first aid management for fractures, dislocations, strains, sprains, and snakebites. It describes the causes, signs, and symptoms of each injury and outlines the steps to take for first aid treatment and referral to a healthcare facility when needed. 2. For fractures, directions are given to immobilize the injured area, reassure the person, and seek medical help. Dislocations should not be reset; the injured area should be treated similar to a fracture. For strains and sprains, RICE therapy of rest, ice, compression, and elevation is recommended along with referral for severe or worsening pain. 3. Hygiene measures like handwashing are emphasized throughout,
fracture and dislocation.docx
- 1. 1 Fracture First Aid Management A fracture is a break/bend or crack in a bone. Generally, a considerable force is needed to break a bone, unless it is diseased or old. The bones that are still growing are supple and may split, bend, or crack. CAUSES OF FRACTURES Fractures may happen when direct (a blow) or indirect force (a twist, a wrench) is inflicted on a bone. DIRECT FORCE; - The bone breaks at the spot of application of the force e.g. a severe fall on a projecting stone, a bullet passing into bones, or a wheel passing over the body, etc. INDIRECT FORCE ;- The bone breaks at the spot away from the spot of application of force e.g. collar-bone fracture when the fall is on outstretched hands, etc. MUSCULAR FORCE; - The fracture occurs due to a violent contraction of a group of muscles (e.g. fracture of ribs on violent cough). This type of fracture happens very rarely and is mostly related to other underlying diseases (e.g. weakened bone structure) TYPES OF FRACTURES OPEN AND CLOSED FRACTURES CLOSED FRACTURES; - The skin above the fracture is intact, although the bone ends may have damaged nearby tissues and blood vessels. OPEN FRACTURES (COMPOUND FRACTURES); - The skin above the fracture is not intact. There is bleeding. The bone is exposed to the outside air at the surface; dirt, dust and germs can enter the wound. There is a high risk of infection. SIMPLE AND COMPLEX FRACTURES ; -The term “complex fracture” describes a broken bone that is more severe than what is more common. Fractures are considered to be complex when the bones are broken into many pieces(comminute fracture). The soft tissues and vital organs are severely damaged. There are multiple fractures at several levels in a single bone. There is an associated joint dislocation or joint injury. Otherwise, the fracture can be classified as a ‘simple fracture’. WHAT DO I SEE AND ENQUIRE? (Clinical Manifestation) Following signs and symptoms may be observed when a person suffered a fracture: -The injured complains of pain at the spot of fracture or around it. -The injured complains of tenderness i.e. pain on touching over the injured spot. Never press hard on a suspected fracture spot! -There might be swelling of the area of the fracture. -There might be a bleeding at the location of the fracture. -The bone might be sticking out. -There might be a discoloration in the area of the fracture. -The injured may have lost the capability of normal movements of the affected part. -There might be a deformity of the affected limb. The limb may have lost its normal shape. Sometimes the muscles may pull up the lower free end, causing an apparent shortening of the limb. -An irregular outline of the bone can be felt (e.g. on lower limb fractures).
- 2. 2 -The injured may feel an unnatural movement at the spot of fracture. The response of an injured person to a dislocated limb or a broken bone can be very different. Some people might even be able to walk with a broken leg with some pain, whilst others might not be able to move at all. If you are not sure whether a bone is broken, it is safer to assume that it has broken. If the broken leg looks deformed or dislocated, do not try to reset it. This might make the injury worse and will cause pain. WHAT DO I DO? SAFETY FIRST AND CALL FOR HELP 1. Make sure there is no danger to you and the person. 2. The person needs help. Shout or call for help if you are alone but do not leave the person unattended. Ask a bystander to seek help or to arrange transport to the nearest healthcare facility. Tell him to come back to you to confirm if help has been secured. HYGIENE 3. If possible, wash your hands before taking care of the injured. Use soap and water to wash your hands. If no soap is available, you can use ash to wash your hands. Alcohol-based sanitizers can also be used, if available. 4. Use gloves to protect yourself. If gloves are not available, you can use a clean plastic bag. Try not to come in contact with the person’s blood. PROVIDE FIRST AID 5. Fractures often occur in major accidents. Therefore, it is necessary to treat other potential injuries also. The first aider must decide which injury is more urgent. Providing CPR when the victim does not breathe, or treating a severe bleeding is more urgent and should be handled on priority. 6. There may be more than one fracture in the same patient or even in the same limb. 7. Try not to move the broken or dislocated limb unnecessarily. Try not to move the casualty until the injured part has been secured. If you need to move the victim, be careful when moving or turning him. It is better to ask assistance by bystanders. 8. Reassure the casualty. 9. Advice the person to keep calm. 10. If the casualty is able to support the injured part, ask him to do so; else, support the injured part with your hands or ask a bystander to do so. You can immobilize the injured part with a bandage or a splint (if the first aider is experienced in these techniques). If you applied a splint or bandage, check the circulation below the bandage or splinting (e.g. at finger or toe level). 11. Arrange appropriate transport to the nearest healthcare facility. 12. Continuously observe the casualty. 13. Do not give the casualty anything to eat or drink. WHAT DO I DO WHEN THERE IS ALSO A SEVERE BLEEDING? - Press on the bleeding to stop it and put a pressure bandage on the wound.
- 3. 3 WHAT DO I DO WHEN THE PERSON BECOMES UNCONSCIOUS, BUT IS STILL BREATHING? 1. Put the person in the recovery position. 2. Continue to observe the victim and check his breathing. WHAT DO I DO WHEN THE PERSON STOPS BREATHING? Perform CPR. Do not interrupt the resuscitation until: - the victim starts to wake up, moves, opens his eyes and breathes normally; - help (trained in CPR) arrives and takes over; -you become too exhausted to continue; or the scene becomes unsafe for you to continue. HYGIENE Always wash your hands after taking care of a person. Use soap and water to wash your hands. If no soap is available, you can use ash to wash your hands. Alcohol-based sanitizers can also be used, if available. WHEN TO REFER TO A HEALTHCARE FACILITY? Always transport or refer a person suffering a (potential) fracture to a nearby healthcare facility. A treatment by bonesetters is not recommended. Head, neck and spinal injuries can be very serious and should always be managed with caution! Unblocking the breathing passage takes priority over concerns about a potential spinal injury. When a person needs to be put in the recovery position to keep the airways open, this takes priority over potential spinal injury. If possible, support the person’s neck while turning him into the recovery position. DISLOCATIONS (INJURIES TO JOINTS) A dislocation is a displacement of a bone at a joint, like the knee or shoulder. The supporting tendons at the joint (the ligaments) might be damaged. The response of an injured person to a dislocated limb can be very different. If you are not sure whether a bone is dislocated, always seek medical help. CAUSES OF DISLOCATIONS Dislocations are mostly the result of an external force that impacts the body. For example: a dislocation of a shoulder can happen by a heavy fall on the hand. A dislocation of the jaw can happen due to wide/violent yawning or blows on the chin. WHAT DO I SEE AND ENQUIRE? If a person has dislocated bone, you might observe the following signs and symptoms: -The lower jaw may limp downwards when dislocated. -The joint looks deformed. -The person has pain. -The casualty cannot move the joint.
- 4. 4 -There might be swelling and bruising in the area of the injury in due course of time. WHAT DO I DO? -Do not try to reset the dislocated bone back into in place. -Verify the colour of the nails of the hand of a dislocated elbow as the dislocation might traumatize an artery. -Provide first aid as follows: Dislocation of: Treat the same as: Jaw Fracture of jaw Shoulder Fracture of shoulder Elbow Fracture of elbow Fingers Fracture of fingers WHEN TO REFER TO A HEALTHCARE FACILITY? A casualty with a suspected dislocation should be transported or referred to a nearby healthcare facility. STRAINS AND SPRAINS (INJURIES TO LIGAMENTS, MUSCLES AND TENDONS) A muscle can be strained by overstretching it. Muscles can also be ruptured (a tear): the muscle itself or the tendon is then torn. A sprain is when the ligaments of a joint or the tissues surrounding the joint are torn. CAUSES OF STRAINS AND SPRAINS Strains might happen as the result of a twist or sudden effort, like lifting a heavy object. Sprains might be caused by a sudden wrenching or twisting of the joint. Ankle sprains are quite a common example of this. WHAT DO I SEE AND ENQUIRE? In case of a strain, you might observe following signs and symptoms: - pain in the affected muscle, - swelling, -bruising, or loss of movement. In case of a sprain, you might observe following signs and symptoms: -The casualty complains of pain around the affected joint. -The casualty reports having felt a sudden sharp pain in the muscle. -The casualty is unable to use or put weight on the joint. -There might be: swelling, bruising, tenderness. WHAT DO I DO? 1. SAFETY FIRST
- 5. 5 Make sure there is no danger to you and the person. 2 HYGIENE If possible, wash your hands before taking care of the injured. Use soap and water to wash your hands. If no soap is available, you can use ash to wash your hands. Alcohol-based sanitizers can also be used, if available. Use gloves to protect yourself. If no gloves are available, you can use a clean plastic bag. Try not to come in contact with the person’s blood. 3. PROVIDE FIRST AID The application of a crepe bandage or a compression bandage is not recommended and not necessary in case of injuries to muscles or joints. 4. Wrap ice in a cloth or a towel and apply it on the injury. Ice can reduce the pain and improve the healing. a. The ice should not touch the skin directly! b. If you do not have ice, use cold water and make a cold compress. c. Do not apply for more than 20 minutes. 5. Do not massage the injury. 6. Do not put heat on the injury. 7. Do not let the injured person continue the activity – rest is required. 8. Arrange transport to a healthcare facility. Hygiene Always wash your hands after taking care of a person. Use soap and water to wash your hands. If no soap is available, you can use ash to wash your hands. Alcohol-based sanitizers can also be used, if available. WHEN TO REFER TO A HEALTHCARE FACILITY? If the pain is severe or the pain does not get better or worsens, the person has difficulty in moving or you think there might be a fracture, always transport the person to a nearby healthcare facility. Snakebite Management