Anyone, no matter their age or activity level, can sustain a broken bone. It is a common injury that can be usually attributed to blunt force trauma like car accidents, athletic injuries, or falls. You may be more susceptible to fractures if you have certain medical conditions like arthritis, osteoporosis, or repetitive forces like running.
Anyone who’s had a broken bone may need surgery to fix it. Sometimes, you will merely require a cast, brace, slight, or splint for it to heal. The recovery periods vary according to what bone was fractured, where the fracture was sustained, and how it was sustained.
How do you know when you have a fracture?
If you’ve been experiencing any of the following symptoms, you are likely to have a broken bone or multiple broken bones:
- Severe pain around the injured area, which worsens when touched or moved
- Numbness around the injured area
- Some bruising or swelling around the injured area
- Bone protruding from your skin
- Some heavy bleeding around the injured area
How should you go about administering first-aid to someone with a broken bone?
If you’ve witnessed an injury or are faced with someone who could potentially have sustained broken bones, here is how you can help them before they get medical attention:
- Staunch the bleeding: if the person is bleeding excessively, you need to elevate the wound and apply pressure to it with a sterilised bandage or clean cloth.
- Have them stay still: It is of the utmost importance that you ensure the injured person is immobilised, especially if the broken bone is on their back or neck. If one of their limbs has the offending bone, use a sling, or split to immobile the area of injury.
- Ice the injury: Grab an ice pack or find a bag of ice cubes and gently place it on the injured area for about 10 minutes at a time.
- Help them through their shock: Those who have been injured severely will be more prone to shock. Help the injured party into a comfortable position and aid them in resting. You can even reassure them by wrapping them in a blanket for added warmth.
- Elicit medical attention: With basic first aid done, call for an ambulance or carefully take them to a hospital yourself.
When should you call for emergency help?
Sometimes, a layperson would not be able to do much to help someone with a fractured injury. In these instances. It’s best to call for emergency aid:
- If the person is unable to respond, breathe, or move.
- If the bleeding is excessively heavy
- If even the slightest touch causes immense pain
- If the site of injury looks deformed
- If the person in question seems to have broken bones in their back, head, or neck
Conclusion
Sustaining an injury can be terrifying at most times. The word “fracture” itself can induce panic in most people. But despite the severity of the situation, there are steps you can take to stave off life-threatening or irreversible injuries and speed up the healing process.
If you are looking for medical aid or for a private ambulance service in Singapore to take patients where they need to go, download the MYCLNQ app today. Or you can get in touch with us and we’ll answer any queries you may have.