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Broken Bones
A broken bone is a common state of emergency but has to be dealt with great care. If a broken bone is not dealt with properly, it can lead to further problems. Though bones are made tough, they can snap by falling off from height or getting bumped into something and more.
Types of broken bones
- A full fracture, when the bone gets broken in two pieces.
- A single fracture, when the bone gets broken in one point.
- A green stick fracture, when bone cracks only on one side, not through the whole bone.
- A comminuted fracture, when the bone breaks in above two pieces. It may even be crushed.
- An open fracture is when bone is clinging by the skin.
- A bowing fracture, when the bone bends but does not break.
Symptoms of broken bones
- There can be a sound or a feeling of a bone break. The sound can in fact be heard by you or people around you.
- The area with broken bones on the body will be tender to touch.
- There can be pain in a spot and noticeable swelling around the fracture
- The limb placed in an unnatural position
- Painful movement
- Abnormal motion
- Loss of function
- Rasping sensation
- Discoloration or bruising of affected area
What to do in the case of broken bone?
- Stay calm and do not panic.
- Make very sure that the person who is hurt is made as comfy as possible
- Take medical help. If there is no medical help around, call 911 or any emergency help number of your area
- Do not move a broken bone. It can hurt the person and can make your injury even worse. Make the person have cushion around the injured bone or make support on the surrounding area with pillows and towels.
- If there is bleeding, make attempt to stop it. Wrap the wound with a sterile bandage and apply pressure to it. You can also make use of a clean cloth.
- Do not make attempt to realign the bone yourself unless you are trained in how to do splinting.
- Employ ice cubes to control swelling. Ice should not be applied to the skin directly. You can wrap ice in towel or a piece of cloth.
- Try your best to relieve the patient's pain till the emergency authorities reach.
- Make treatment for shock and give him or her psychological first aid too. If the patient is scared or feels faint or short in breath, you can make the person face down and the head should be a little lower than the body. You can also possibly elevate patient's legs.
Treatment
The bones are natural healers. To rebuild, the bone produces lots of new cells and small blood vessels in that place. First of all, the doctor makes out what kind of fracture it is actually. X-rays are the handy treatment that tells the doctor the actual state of the fracture. In case of major broken bones, the doctor can put metal pins to put together all the pieces. The broken bones have to be set and put in a cast. The casts are made of fiberglass, plastic or bandages soaked in plaster. They are even made waterproof.