A break or crack in the bone is called a fracture. Fractures can occur due to strong forces received by bones, for example from falling or tripping to a car crash. Fractures need to be evaluated and treated by a medical professional to reduce the occurrence of side effects of broken bones and increase the chances of bones and joints healing completely as before. Although fractures are common in children and adults with osteoporosis, it is reported that 7 million people of all ages experience fractures every year.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Evaluating the Situation Immediately
Step 1. Ask what happened
If you are caring for yourself or someone else, find out immediately what happened before the pain started. If you are helping someone else, ask what happened just before the incident. Most broken bones result from a force strong enough to crack or break the bone completely. You can judge whether a bone is broken or not by finding out the cause of the injury.
- A force strong enough to break a bone can occur when a trip or fall occurs, a motor vehicle accident, or a direct impact on the fracture site, for example during a sporting event.
- Fractures can also occur as a result of violence (eg during abuse) or repeated pressure, such as running.
Step 2. Determine if additional assistance is needed
Knowing the cause of the injury will not only help to assess the occurrence of a fracture, but also whether you need additional help. You may need emergency services and the police in a car crash or the Child Protection Commission in a child abuse case.
- If the injury does not appear to be a fracture (e.g., a sprain, which occurs when ligaments are overstretched and even torn), but the patient continues to complain of extreme pain, call emergency services or take the patient to the nearest clinic or hospital, including if the injury or pain is severe. non-urgent (e.g., injury does not bleed heavily, can still speak in complete sentences, etc.).
- If the patient faints, is unable to communicate, or the patient's communication is unclear, call emergency services immediately as this is a sign of a head injury. See Part Two below.
Step 3. Ask what the patient felt or heard during the injury
Recall or ask the patient how he felt and experienced when the accident occurred. People who have broken bones often say they have heard or felt a “break” in an area. Thus, patients who claim to hear a cracking sound usually experience a fracture.
The patient may also describe a grating feeling or sound (such as several pieces of bone rubbing against each other) when the injured area is moved, even if the patient does not feel pain right away. This is called crepitus
Step 4. Ask about the pain
When a bone breaks, the body responds immediately with pain. Pain can be caused by a broken bone or various tissue damage around the fracture (eg muscles, ligaments, nerves, blood vessels, cartilage and tendons). There are three levels of pain to watch out for:
- Acute pain - Is an increasing and intense pain that generally occurs right after a fracture. Extreme pain can be a sign of a fracture.
- Subacute pain - This pain occurs in the first few weeks after the fracture, especially as the fracture heals. This pain is mainly due to stiffness and muscle weakness due to lack of movement to heal a fracture (for example, from wearing a cast or brace).
- Chronic pain - This pain persists even after the bone and surrounding tissue has healed and lasts for several weeks to months after the fracture.
- It should be noted that patients may experience some or all of these types of pain. Some people have subacute pain without chronic pain. Others have fractures with no or little pain, such as in the little finger or spine.
Step 5. Look for outward signs of a fracture
There are several signs that can indicate a fracture, including:
- Unnatural shape and movement of body parts.
- Bruising, internal bleeding, or severe bruising.
- The injured area is difficult to move.
- The injured area appears shortened, twisted or bent.
- Loss of energy in the injured area
- Loss of normal function at the injured area
- Surprise
- Severe swelling
- Numbness or tingling sensation at or below the injured area.
Step 6. Look for other symptoms that appear to suggest a fracture
If the injury is only a minor fracture, there will be no visible signs other than swelling which may even be visible. Therefore, you need to do a more detailed examination to look for signs of fractures
- Often a fracture will force the patient to change his behavior. For example, the patient will try to keep the injured area free from weight or pressure. This is a sign of an injury, even if the fracture is not visible to the naked eye.
- Consider the following three examples: a fracture in the ankle or foot prevents the patient from placing weight on the injured leg; a fracture in the arm or hand will allow the patient to protect and not use the injured arm so as not to hurt; a broken rib will make the patient unable to take a deep breath.
Step 7. Find a point that is sensitive to pain
Fractures can often be identified by a pain point, which is a point on the injured area of the bone that is very sensitive and causes extreme pain to the touch. In other words, the pain increases sharply when there is pressure near or on the fracture. Most likely the fracture occurred at this sensitive point.
- Pain that is equal to palpation (gentle pressing or pushing) over an area that is more than three fingers wide may be from ligaments, tendons, or other tissue damaged by the injury
- It should be noted that large, immediate bruising and swelling often indicate tissue damage and not a fracture.
Step 8. Take care when treating children with possible fractures
Always keep the following factors in mind when it comes to determining whether a child under 12 has a fracture. In general, it is usually best to take your child to the doctor for a formal diagnosis if the child is likely to have a fracture because the fracture can affect the child's bone growth. Thus, the child will be able to immediately receive the appropriate treatment.
- Young children usually can't pinpoint the point of pain sensitivity well. Children have more equal neural responses than adults.
- It is difficult for children to assess the pain they are experiencing.
- The pain of fractures in children is also very different because of the flexibility of the bones. Children's bones tend to be partially bent or fractured rather than broken.
- Parents know their children best. If your child's behavior indicates more pain than you think, seek immediate medical attention.
Part 2 of 3: Providing First Aid
Step 1. Do not move the injured patient
This is the main rule. The patient should only be moved if there is an urgent danger of fracture from a fall from a height or a car accident. Do not try to straighten the bones or move the patient if they cannot move on their own. This will prevent further injury to the fracture area.
- Do not transfer a patient with a hip or hip fracture as this may cause bleeding into the pelvic orifice. Call emergency services immediately and wait for medical help to arrive. However, if the patient really needs to be moved without medical treatment, place a bolster or pillow between the patient's legs and secure it. Roll the patient onto the board for stability by rolling them as a single piece. Keep the patient's shoulders, hips and legs straight and roll them simultaneously while another person slides the plank under the patient's pelvis. The plank should reach mid-back to the patient's knees.
- Do not move a patient with a possible back, neck, or head fracture. Keep the patient in the position when found, and call emergency services immediately. Do not try to straighten the patient's back or neck. Inform the medical professional that the patient may have a back, neck or head fracture and why. Patients who are moved can experience long-term damage, including paralysis.
Step 2. Control bleeding from accidents or injuries
Treat all wounds before dealing with fractures. If the bone protrudes from the skin, do not touch it or insert it back into the body. Bones are usually a light gray or cream color instead of the white that is often shown on television.
If the bleeding is severe enough, treat it before moving on to a fracture
Step 3. Restrict the movement of the injured area
Fractures should only be treated if emergency help cannot arrive immediately. You don't need to do anything if emergency services are coming soon or are already on their way to the hospital. However, if emergency help is not immediately available, provide first aid by stabilizing the bone and relieving pain according to the following instructions.
- Place a splint on the broken arm or leg to provide support. Do not try to straighten the bones. To make a splint, you can use materials in your hand or around you. Look for long, hard objects to make the splint, such as boards, sticks, rolled newspapers, and so on. If the body part is small enough (such as a toe or hand), simply tape the injured finger together with the finger next to it to stabilize and splint the injury.
- Cover the splint with a cloth, towel, blanket, pillow or any other soft object.
- Extend the splint through the joint and under the fracture. For example, if the lower leg is broken, the length of the splint should be from above the knee to the ankle. Similar to the leg, if the fracture occurs at a joint, the splint should be long enough to reach the two bones where the joint is attached.
- Secure the splint in the injured area. Use a belt, laces, shoelaces, anything that can tie and secure the splint in place, making sure that the splint does not cause further injury. Pile up the splint so that it doesn't compress but restricts movement of the injured area.
Step 4. Make a brace if the arm or hand is broken
Patients can support the arms so that the muscles do not get tired. Use a piece of fabric that is about 16 cm long from a pillowcase, bed sheet, or other large material. Fold the triangle, placing one end under the broken arm and over the shoulder while bringing the other end over the other shoulder and cradling the arm. Tie both ends behind the neck.
Part 3 of 3: Obtaining Medical Treatment
Step 1. Call emergency services if a fracture requires emergency help
Emergency help is needed if the following symptoms appear. If you can't make a call, ask someone nearby to call an ambulance.
- Fractures are part of a trauma or other major injury.
- The patient did not respond. In other words, the patient does not move or talk. If the patient is not breathing, give CPR.
- The patient is breathing heavily.
- The patient's limbs or joints are abnormally shaped or bent in the wrong direction.
- The area of the fracture is numb or blue at the tip.
- Fractures may occur in the pelvis, waist, neck, or back.
- There was heavy bleeding.
Step 2. Take care to prevent shock
Fractures from major accidents can cause shock. Lie down and elevate the legs above the level of the heart and the head under the chest (if possible) until help arrives. If the patient's leg is fractured, do not elevate the leg. Cover the patient with a coat or blanket.
- Do not forget, the patient should not be moved if the fracture is likely to occur in the head, back, or neck.
- Make sure the patient is comfortable and warm. Cover the injured area with blankets, pillows, or clothing for cushioning. Have the patient talk to distract him from the pain.
Step 3. Apply ice to relieve swelling
Remove clothing around the injured area and apply ice to control swelling. This will help the doctor treat the fracture and relieve pain. Do not apply ice directly to the skin, wrap it first with a towel or cloth.
You can use items in the freezer, such as frozen vegetables or fruits
Step 4. Always check with your doctor
You should make an appointment with a doctor or visit a medical clinic for an X-ray if the symptoms of a fracture do not appear immediately after the incident. X-rays are necessary if you or the patient has pain in the area of the injury and it doesn't improve after a few days or if the patient initially does not experience a point of pain sensitivity in the first few hours after the accident, but appears in the next few days. Sometimes tissue swelling can interfere with the perception and sensitivity point of pain.
