Applying a Splint

Video Transcript

"My name is Alv Rios and I am a paramedic with Lansing Mercy Ambulance on behalf of Expert Village. In this clip we are going to go over mobilizing the bone above and below the injury site or the joint above and below the injury site. The point of immobilizing the bone above and below or the joint above and below the injury is the same as we discussed earlier. When those broken bone ends move around they are cutting different tissues. So what you want to do when you first approach it after you have accessed to see exactly which injury you have, you want to make sure again let's just use an example of the fracture being here. You want to make sure you mobilize the joint meaning the elbow above the injury site and the joint below meaning the wrist. When these bones move even though the long bone is not moving what's causing is definitely those bone ends to move slightly because as the joint moves it's actually pulling slightly including the tendons on that bone. Same with the elbow. If you have an injury to the elbow you need to make sure that you don't move the arm and above and below. The reason for that makes a little more sense to people. If I move this bone right here obviously the joint will move. So it is important to immobilize physically just by grabbing with your hands the injury site. Make sure that you never grab over the actual fracture. "