Broken Bones
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Broken bones or suspected broken bones should be immobilised, this does not always mean strapping the bone. Care must be taken to avoid moving the limb when putting any dressing on. You can use a folded magazine as a make-shift splint or a commercial splint. Tie them either side of the break and place the arm in a low sling, not an elevation sling.
With a dislocated shoulder you can place the arm in a low sling and then use another sling made into a long bandage over the arm and around the body to stop the arm from moving.
Fingers can be splinted using a pen or ruler or secured to the next finger. Broken legs should be left alone and the EMS activated.
- Fractures are cracks in the bones
- Closed breaks or fractures are where the bone is broken completely
- Compound fractures are where the bone punctures the skin
- Complicated breaks are where nerve damage has also occurred
- Dislocations are where a joint comes apart.