FIRST AID
➢ Fractures
➢ Dislocations
➢ Sprains
➢ Strains
Fractures
• A fracture is a complete break, a chip or a crack in a bone.
A fracture is a crack, complete break or chip in a bone
Types of fractures
• Fractures are open or closed.
• An open fracture: involves an open wound.
▪ It occurs when the end of a bone tears through the skin.
▪ An object that goes into the skin and breaks the bone, such as a bullet, also
can cause an open fracture.
• A closed fracture: the skin is not broken. Types of fractures
• Closed fractures are more common, but open fractures are more dangerous
because they carry a risk of infection and severe bleeding.
• Complicated fractures:
are fractures that cause damage to internal structures, such as a punctured
lung, or a fracture that involves significant bleeding (internal or external).
• In general, fractures are life threatening only if they involve:
➢ breaks in large bones such as the thigh,
➢ cut an artery or affect breathing.
Causes:
• Bone hit by great force e.g. a fall from a significant height, a motor vehicle
crash, sports injury and violence.
• Bone loses calcium (osteoporosis) brittle; small force enough to break
(e.g. fall in bathroom).
Signs and symptoms
A casualty experiencing a fracture may experience one or more of the following signs and
symptoms:
•Pain at the injury site.
•Bleeding (internal or external).
•Open wounds with or without exposed bone ends.
•Deformity. (The area may be twisted or strangely bent. It may have abnormal lumps, ridges and
hollows)
•Shortening or rotation of the limb.
•The casualty reports hearing the bone breaks.
• Crepitus (the sound of bones grinding).
•Bruising & swelling.
•The person is unable to use the affected part normally.
•Tenderness on applying pressure.
•Sharp pain when the individual attempts to move the part.
•Shock like signs and symptoms.
➢ An x-ray, computer assisted tomography (CAT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is
needed to determine the extent of the injury.
Management
• Call 123, or arrange transport to hospital.
• Do not move or straighten the injured area.
• DO ask questions to the casualty if they are conscious. The victim may have heard a bone
snap at the time of injury.
• Examine the injured area for swelling and/or deformities, lacerations and puncture
wounds. Gently feel along the length of the bone for tenderness, swelling and deformities.
• If you are not sure whether a bone is fractured, treat the injury as if it is.
• If open fracture, stop the bleeding – apply direct pressure to the wound without causing
further trauma.
• Immobilize—Stabilize the injured area in the position it was found.
• Splint (or sling) the injured part only if the person must be moved or transported to
receive medical care and it does not cause more pain. Minimizing movement can prevent
further injury.
• Apply ice packs to limit swelling and help relieve pain until medical help arrives (Do not
apply ice directly to the skin; wrap the ice in a towel, piece of cloth or some other
material).
• Treat shock if any - lay the patient down with the head slightly lower than the trunk and,
if possible, elevate the legs.
• Check for a pulse and sensation below the fracture area.
• You may give pain relievers to control the pain.
• Do not try to realign the bone or push a bone that is sticking out back in.
Splint
• Methods to reduce movement of two ends of fracture using hard/firm
materials.
• Applied to the area above and below the fracture site.
• May be commercial or improvised.
Commercial splint Improvised splint
Sling
• Methods to reduce movement of upper limb.
• May use: Triangular bandage or Improvised sling.
➢ Triangular Bandage
2 common forms: Arm sling Elevation sling
➢Improvised sling
Dislocations
• A dislocation is the movement of a bone at a joint away from its normal
position.
• Dislocations usually are more obvious than fractures.
• It usually occurs in the shoulders, knees, elbow, thumb, fingers and the lower
jaw.
Causes:
•Sudden impact to the joint usually is caused by a violent force tearing the ligaments that hold the
bones in place.
usually occurs following:
•Sudden jerking movements.
• Blows to the body such as which can happen during contact sports or accidents.
•Falls, or other trauma.
Signs and symptoms
Similar to fracture but the injury will be over a joint with:
•Pain at the site of injury. Bruising & Swelling.
•Limited movement at the joint because the bone is moved out of place.
•Deformity (The displaced end of the bone often forms a bump, a ridge or a hollow that does not
normally exist).
Management
•Call 123, or arrange transport to hospital.
•Do not move or straighten the injured area.
•Apply ice packs to limit swelling and help relieve pain until medical help arrives.
•You may give pain relievers to control the pain.
•Immobilize—Stabilize the injured area in the position it was found.
•Splint (or sling) the injured part only if the person must be moved or transported to receive
medical care and it does not cause more pain. Minimizing movement can prevent further
injury.
First aid for dislocated shoulder
Sprains strain
Damage as a result of forceful joint movements and/or external pressure on the body due to:
tearing of ligaments at a joint. stretching and tearing of muscles or tendons.
Ligament: is the fibrous connective tissue that • Tendon: is a tough band of fibrous connective
connects bones to other bones. tissue that usually connects muscle to bone
and is capable of withstanding tension.
• Mild sprains may swell but usually heal quickly. • Strains often are caused by lifting something
The person might not feel much pain and is active heavy or working a muscle too hard.
again soon.
-If a person ignores the signals of swelling and pain
and becomes active too soon, the joint will not heal
properly and will remain weak.
-There is a good chance that it will become • Some strains can reoccur, especially in the
reinjured, only this time more severely. neck and back.
• A severe sprain also can involve a fracture or
dislocation of the bones at the joint.
• The joints most easily injured are at the ankle, • They usually involve the muscles in the neck,
Sprain strain
Signs & symptoms
• Pain at the site of injury.
• Lack of /or limited movement.
• Inability to bear weight.
• Swelling.
• Tenderness. (sensitivity to pain)
• Bruising.
Treatment
Apply the RICE technique
• Rest = tell patient to stop the activity.
• Ice = apply ice for up to 20 min.
• Compression = apply bandage. (to reduce pain, swelling, internal bleeding)
• Elevation = put injured limb higher than body. (may help reduce swelling)
• Soft tissue injuries may be referred to a doctor in order to identify any potential fracture/s.
Thank you