Fracture first aid covers everything you need to do for a broken bone. One wrong move in the first few minutes can turn a painful injury into a lasting one. Many of us would think to call for help, yet fewer would know what to do with the injured person while that help is on its way.
What is a Fracture?: Recognising the Signs and Symptoms
Fracture is the medical term for a broken bone. The damage can be a thin crack or a complete break, and it happens when a force is greater than the bone can take. Fracture first aid depends on picking up the signs of a break early
Pain
Swelling and tenderness
Bruising or discolouration
Deformity
Trouble moving the limb
Bleeding or bone sticking out
Types of Fractures: Open, Closed, and Suspected Fractures
The kind of break you are dealing with shapes your fracture first aid.
A closed fracture is a break where the skin over the bone stays whole. You may notice swelling, bruising, and pain even when nothing shows on the surface. An open fracture is a break where the bone breaks through the skin, or where a wound runs down to the bone. Sometimes the broken end protrudes through the skin, and at other times you only see a wound over the break
A suspected fracture is any injury you think could be a break but cannot confirm. Only an X-ray can show for certain whether a bone is cracked. When the signs are there and you are unsure, treat the injury as a fracture.
Dislocations vs Broken Bones
A dislocation happens when a bone is pushed out of its normal position, or displaced, at a joint. It happens most often at the shoulder, elbow, kneecap, or fingers.
The two injuries can look almost the same from the outside. You may notice pain, swelling, bruising, and trouble moving the part with either one, and both can leave a limb looking bent or out of shape. Even trained responders can find them hard to tell apart without an X-ray.
More Than A Splint: Emergency First Aid for Fractures
Fracture first aid runs in an order of priorities.
Check the area is safe, then send someone for help early if the injury looks serious.
Cover an open wound with a sterile dressing or a clean cloth, and apply pressure around the wound rather than on any exposed bone.
Ask the casualty to stay as still as they can and reassure them. Do not move them unless they are in danger.
Support the injured limb in the position you found it. Do not try to straighten the limb or push a broken bone back into place.
Immobilise the fracture with soft padding to prevent movement and further injury. A splint placed along the injured limb and secured with bandages above and below the break can help, but never bandage over the break itself.
Check their circulation every 15 minutes, in the fingers or toes past the injury. Make sure the bandages are not too tight by watching for signs of loss of circulation such as skin that turns pale, cold, or numb.
What to Do for a Dislocated Joint
Much of dislocation care follows the same priorities as fracture first aid.
Help the casualty sit or lie down in the position that hurts least, and reassure them.
Never try to push or pull the joint back into place yourself.
Support the joint in the position of least discomfort. A sling suits a dislocated shoulder or wrist.
If their hand or foot beyond the joint turns cold or pale, or you feel no pulse, call Triple Zero (000).
Understanding Fractures: Learn Fracture First Aid
Your job with a break or a dislocation is to protect the injury and the person, then hand over to trained help. A nationally recognised first aid course gives you the right response for the day someone needs it. You will be far readier for a frightening moment when you already know what to do.
FAQs
What Items Should Be in a First Aid Kit?
A basic first aid kit holds adhesive strips, sterile wound dressings, non-adhesive dressings, gauze swabs, triangular and crepe bandages, disposable gloves, scissors, tweezers, safety pins, saline, and antiseptic wipes, along with a resuscitation face shield.
How Are Sprains and Strains Different?
A sprain is a stretched or torn ligament, the tissue that joins bone to bone at a joint, while a strain is a stretched or torn muscle or tendon.
How Long Does a Broken Bone Take to Heal?
Broken bones usually heal in around four to eight weeks, though the time shifts with your age, your health, and which bone is broken. Larger bones such as those in the leg can take several months.
