eHow launches Android app: Get the best of eHow on the go.
An ankle sprain occurs when ankle ligaments are overextended due to an over-rotation of your ankle. The li… More
A sprained ankle can put you on the sidelines for some time. It is a very common injury and can happen to … More
Sprained ankles occur when the ligament attached to a joint is twisted or torn. A sprain can occur from fa… More
A sprained ankle can occur if you land hard on the outside of your foot and it rolls outward and stretches… More
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, about 25,000 people sprain their ankles every da… More
Ankle sprains are common and are generally the result of the ankle flexing in a direction that is not desi… More
A sprain occurs when the ligaments connecting two bones together are either stretched or torn. The wrist i… More
A knee sprain occurs when the ligaments that surround the knee and help hold it in place become strained o… More
Each year, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 184 out of 100,000 people will suffe… More
Fracture is another word for broken. If you have a fractured ankle, that means that you broke the ankle in… More
If you suspect that someone has broken something, whether it’s an arm, a leg or even a hip, it … More
When splinting a lower leg, the first step is to assess the leg to find out where the fracture is, and it'… More
Learn how to apply a splint to a lower leg fracture in this first aid training video.… More
When dealing with an open fracture, the first consideration is to control the bleeding, after which the si… More
Treat a closed fracture during first aid by evaluating the affected area for possible deformities, elevati… More
Summary: When dealing with an open fracture, the first consideration is to control the bleeding, after which the site can be wrapped without cutting off circulation. Discover how to make a splint to make the patient more comfortable with help from an emergency medical technician in this free video on treating open fractures.
Rebecca Boutin graduated from the paramedic program at Springfield College in Springfield, Mass. in 1992. She has worked for the city of Westfield, Mass. as an emergency medical...read more
"When dealing with an open fracture, please refer to your local protocols. In this case, we may be looking at a lower leg fracture that's opened. Your first consideration is to control the bleeding. I have five by nine dressing that I will place over the fracture site and I'll apply direct pressure. Once the bleeding has been controlled, you can wrap cling right around the site. You don't want to wrap this too tight so that you cut off circulation. If the bleeding has not been controlled at this point, don't take the dressing off, just reapply another dressing and more pressure and keep adding on to it. Once this is done, you're going to want to apply the splint. This is going to help control bleeding a little bit more and also make it more comfortable for the patient. When using a splint, use a Bridget splint on the soft side. You're going to put the soft side against the patient and you're going to want to find an appropriate size splint that uses the joint above the break and also the joint below the break. If available, use one splint on either side. There's many ways you can place this splint on the patient. I'm going to use triangular bandages. You can use tape. When using triangular bandages, make sure that they're not go actually on the splint itself and not against the patient skin. You're simply going to use an over hand knot and I like to double it up because it keeps it from moving once it's been tighten and I like to use a square knot. If you placed the first one above the joint, the next one above the break itself and one below the break. It's also imperative that before and after you splint a break that you check for pulse motor and sensory that can be done by checking the pulse here. Can you feel me touching you? Can you please move your toes?"
eHow Article: How to Treat an Open Fracture During First Aid
Copyright © 1999-2009 eHow, Inc. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. en-US Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.
