Hello! My name is Dr. Abdul Salam and I am a full time practicing orthopedic surgeon in Coimbatore. I see and treat numerous patients with fractures and other complex injuries of the bones. The commonest question, I get from my patients is that dear doctor, ‘What is the first aid treatment of a fracture?’. So let’s try to understand a bit about fractures before we move on to the first aid section.
A fracture occurs whenever there is a break in the continuity of the bone. The bone in question may break into one piece or into multiple pieces. Fractures or broken bones can occur due to violent trauma, accidents or other high impact injuries that produce considerable stress on the bone that is beyond the bone’s load-bearing capacity.
Classically, broken bones present with the following symptoms. These include
A. Severe pain on trying to move the area of injury
B. Numbness
C. Bleeding at the site
D. In severe fractures, there may be a visible deformity or the bone itself may protrude through the skin
Some quick first aid tips for a broken bone include,
A. Arrest bleeding if any, however, do remember to use a clean cloth!
B. Keep the area still, do not move it, or else the bones that are fractured may get displaced from their normal position
C. Apply a liberal amount of ice to the injured area. This will help reduce swelling in the tissue
D. Check if the individual is conscious and is breathing well.
In the event, you see an individual not breathing or if there is heavy bleeding, you are better off calling the ortho hospital near you for immediate medical attention.
Extreme loss of blood, combined with a loss of consciousness, labored breathing are all signs of CNS impairment and requires immediate medical/surgical attention.
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