Broken Bone
What You Should Do with a Broken Bone
You may not have suffered from a broken bone yet. This doesn’t mean you never will. Every individual has a chance of getting broken bones through accidents. People however who frequently engage in high impact activities are more at risk.
Broken Bone - Complete Fracture
Fracture Types
A fracture means the same thing as a broken bone. There is however, more than one type of fracture. Very serious fractures include complete fracture in which the bone is broken in two, open fracture in which the bone sticks out of the skin and comminuted fracture in which the bone may be broken into many pieces. A less severe type of fracture is the hairline fracture in which the bone may have a very thin crack that does not break the bone into pieces.
The most obvious cause of fractures is forceful impact. You may get a broken bone for example after a car crash, a fall or a sports accident. Fractures however may also result from severe or repeated stress on the bone. Repetitively participating in high impact sports and activities may lead to fractures.
The severity of a broken bone is not the result of certain activities alone. Some people are more prone to small fractures if they have poor bone density. Some people may have poor bone strength because of poor diets. Often though, the elderly are the ones who have weaker bones as a natural effect of aging.
Broken bones may be quite easy to detect. You would know if someone might have a broken bone if he experiences extreme pain and is he is unable to fully move the injured part. He may faint, feel dizzy or have chills as a result of systemic shock.
What You Should Do
Naturally, you would be at the mercy of someone else if you have a severely broken bone. If on the other hand you are the one who witnesses an accident in which someone may have broken bones, you have to follow correct steps to prevent further injury to the individual.
If you have never had any experience with administering first aid, the first thing you should do is to dial 911. The trained operator can offer you the right instructions on what to do with a person with the broken bone. If you are able to contact the paramedics immediately, do not touch the injured person. Doing so may make his condition worse especially if his neck or spine is injured.
If you are unable to contact 911 immediately, you may have to perform basic first aid procedures. You may have to stabilize the broken section by putting it in a splint. Realigning or moving the injured portion may also be necessary if the section below the injury is pale. This means there is no sufficient blood circulation. If there is a wound, you may have to rinse it and apply clean dressing. As much as possible though, touch the person only when you are unable to get help immediately.
It’s no fun to have a broken bone. This is why it pays to always be careful in whatever you do. It may take a few days or weeks before you can get yourself out of a cast.
