Whether you are playing a sport or rock climbing, if someone around you has an injury that you suspect might be a fracture, it is important to act promptly. Fractures can cause intense pain and swelling. By following the correct steps before seeking help, you can avoid further injury. Before getting the person to our urgent care center, follow the first aid tips below.
First Aid Tips For Fractures
- Don’t move the person. If the individual looks like they have sustained a major injury, do not move them at all. Or, you would be risking displacing the bone even more than it already is.
- Immobilize the fractured limb. As you wait to transport the person to our urgent care center, do what you can to keep the injured body part in place. If you or someone nearby is trained in first aid, apply a splint to the arm or leg. So, that this will keep the limb from moving.
- Apply ice. You can prevent swelling by applying ice directly to the injured area. Therefore, wrap an ice pack or bag of ice in a towel and hold it gently to the skin.
- Look for other injuries. As you stabilize the patient, scan their body for other injuries. Apply pressure to any bleeding and notice any bruising. These could indicate other injuries. Therefore, if bruising or bleeding are present, go to urgent care.
- Elevate the legs. If you can, lay the person down with their head slightly lower than the rest of their body and raise their legs.
CALL 911 IF THE PERSON:
- Is bleeding uncontrollably
- Has a numb, cold, pale, or blue ankle/foot
- Is unable to move the foot
- Is in shock (faint, pale, with rapid shallow breathing)
The above things could indicate an emergency. Thus, don’t wait to get help.
Stop by any of our clinics to talk to our healthcare providers. We offer in-house X-rays. Please call us at (917) 310-3371 and you’ll only wait minutes to be seen. Would you like to read more first aid tips? Check out the rest of our blog posts.
