First aid for bruises and fractures

With the onset of winter, the risk of injury (bruises, fractures, dislocations, sprains) increases.
Therefore, it is important to know how to provide first aid for bruises and broken limbs. A limb injury may be a bruise, sprain, dislocation or fracture. Without an examination by a specialist, it is impossible to independently determine the severity of the injury. If you receive a limb injury, you need to provide first aid for bruises and fractures and urgently call an ambulance.

What should not be done for bruises and fractures?

Firstly, you cannot ignore the injury you have received and not take the necessary measures, even if outwardly the injury may seem minor. Only a doctor who takes an x-ray can determine the severity and type of injury.

Secondly, it is impossible to transport the victim without fixing the injured limb.

Thirdly, do not try to put the injured arm or leg back in place yourself , this will only worsen the situation.

Fourthly, for bruises and fractures, do not use painkillers without consulting a doctor.

Which parts of the body are most susceptible to injury?

Sprains mainly occur in the knee joints or ankles when running or walking on uneven surfaces or ice. Injuries often occur when playing team sports with sudden braking and acceleration. Poor warm-up, lack of regular physical activity, fatigue, and pregnancy increases the likelihood of sprains.

Treatment for a hamstring strain is common for dancers and people involved in active sports. Injury occurs as a result of overexertion and lack of proper rest.

The following parts of the body are primarily susceptible to bruises:

Chest - often accompanied by damage to internal tissues, so treatment of a chest contusion should begin immediately.
Knee – if the damage is severe, hemarthrosis may develop.
Nose – sometimes accompanied by displacement of the nasal septum.
Shoulder – leads to temporary limitation of mobility.
Elbow – depending on the nature of the damage, arthrosis or arthritis may develop.

What types of injuries are there and their differences:

First aid for bruises

During a fall or impact, soft tissues or organs of a person are damaged, this is called a bruise. In case of bruises of the joints , bruises of the leg, arm, visible violations of the integrity of the joints or skin are usually not observed. With bruises, tissue swelling may begin or a hematoma may appear. As damage progresses, pain increases and limb mobility is impaired.

What to do if you have bruises? To provide first aid for bruises, apply cold to the damaged surface. This could be cold water, a bottle, or a hot water bottle with ice. But when providing assistance for bruises, do not forget to prevent hypothermia. The cold should be applied for no more than 15 minutes, then the ice should be removed for 5 minutes and if the pain does not subside, then the cold should be applied for another 15 minutes.

Common reasons why you might get a sprain or bruise

Carelessness when handling heavy objects.
Getting into a traffic accident.
Falling while going down the stairs.
Participating in high-risk sports, such as martial arts, volleyball, powerlifting, basketball, etc.
Fall due to fainting.
Living conditions - twisting your feet, stumbling, walking on slippery surfaces or wearing high-heeled shoes.
Excess weight, uncomfortable shoes, clothes, equipment.
Arthrosis, infectious diseases, flat feet (these ailments can lead to changes in the structure of the joint).

First aid for fractures

When providing first aid for fractures, you need to be aware of the symptoms of a fracture. Symptoms of a fracture can be: severe pain, tissue swelling, abnormal joint shape, pain when trying to move the injured limb. However, it is impossible to accurately determine a fracture on your own. Only a doctor in a hospital can determine the symptoms of a fracture and the severity of the injury.

When providing first aid for fractures, first of all it is necessary to fix the injured limb in the position in which it is located. Don't try to put it in place yourself. Before the ambulance arrives, it is necessary to apply a splint using available means (sticks, cardboard, cloth) and ensure complete rest for the victim.

In case of an open fracture, it is necessary to first provide assistance to stop the bleeding, and then provide first aid for fractures.

First aid for injury

injuries that occur when soft tissues are impacted by blunt objects (when hitting hard surfaces, sharp objects, or falling)

With bruises there may be:

noticeable damage to small and large blood vessels, muscles or subcutaneous tissue, possible hemorrhage into damaged bruised tissue;
the bruised area causes pain in itself or pain appears when it is palpated;
swelling may occur at the site of the injury;
in some cases, especially when extensive bruises occur, there may be a disruption in the full functioning of the damaged organs.

First aid:

apply cold objects to the injured area, for example, ice packs, water, etc.
in order to ensure immobility of the bruised limb, it is necessary to apply a fixing bandage,
ensuring complete rest for the victim.

! If necessary, you should contact the clinic

Dislocations are displacements of the articular surfaces of bones in the articular joints. Dislocation occurs primarily due to excessive stress on the joints. The most common dislocations are dislocations of the elbow, shoulder, hip and ankle joints.

In case of dislocation, injuries to nerve trunks, blood vessels, nerves, and damage to joint capsules are quite possible.

The main signs of a dislocation are:

joint pain and swelling;
with a dislocation, it is quite possible that the normal shape of the bone of the joint will change and it will be displaced from the joint capsule;
A visual change in the limb is also possible. Namely, a change in the length of the damaged limb and incorrect movements of the joint.

In case of a dislocation, the following first aid must be provided:

firmly fix the dislocated limb, as well as the joint, and in no case should you try to straighten the dislocations yourself or give the injured limb the “correct” position!
if the joints of the hands are damaged, the damaged limb must be suspended on a bandage tied like a “kerchief,
If the leg joints are damaged, the victim must be placed in a strictly horizontal position and contact medical services (for example, call the ambulance dispatcher).

Fractures are complete or partial violations of the integrity of bones due to excessive loads that exceed the tensile strength of the injured area of the bone. Fractures can occur both as a result of injuries and as a result of the consequences of a wide variety of diseases, which are accompanied by serious changes in the strength characteristics of human bone tissue. Fractures can be either closed, when they are not accompanied by rupture of tissues adjacent to the fracture site, or open, that is, they can be accompanied by injuries to nearby soft tissues

The most important sign of this type of injury is acute, almost unbearable pain at the site of the bone fracture, which is accompanied by disruption of the painless functioning of the injured limbs. Also, at the site of the fracture, abnormal bone mobility and a visual change in the length of the limbs are quite possible.

When providing first aid for fractures, the following actions should be taken:

the victim needs to apply a tight fixing bandage to the injured limb, using any available means as a splint, such as hard cardboard, sticks, planks and much more. Splints must be applied on several sides, for example, on the front surface of the injured arms or legs and on the side, thus preventing any unwanted movement at the fracture site as effectively as possible. When applying a fixation bandage, a pad of soft material, such as cotton wool, is necessary. The bandage itself should be tightly fixed with a bandage. The bandage must cover at least two joints of the injured limb, namely the joints located above and below the bone fracture sites. For example, in the case of a fracture of the radius and ulna, the wrist and elbow joint should be fixed, otherwise simply fixing the elbow will not bring any benefit. benefit to the patient.
In case of a hip fracture, the victim must be in a horizontal position.
in the case of an open fracture, the first step is to stop the bleeding by applying a tight sterile bandage to the wound and firmly fixing the injured part of the body.

! It is strictly forbidden to set parts of crushed bones into an open wound.

Then, you should immediately call emergency medical help.

This is most important to do in case of fractures of large bones, skull bones, chest bones, and pelvic bones. The victim is hospitalized at the nearest trauma clinic. In case of fractures of small bones, after first aid is provided, the victim can be treated at home.

Wounds are called violations of the anatomical integrity of internal and integumentary tissues throughout their entire thickness. Wounds are also called violations of the integrity of internal organs caused by mechanical stress. Deep wounds injure subcutaneous tissue, muscles, blood vessels, and nerve trunks.

Wounds, depending on the conditions of occurrence, can be divided into the following types:

Incised wounds are wounds that appeared as a result of injury caused by the sliding movement of thin and sharp objects, cutting tools, glass fragments, etc.
Chopped wounds are wounds caused by heavy sharp cutting objects, which include cutlasses, axes, sabers, swords and other heavy cutting tools.
Puncture wounds are wounds that are inflicted by piercing objects with small cross sections, such as an awl, pitchfork, rapier rake.

First aid for injuries:

it is necessary to completely free the injured area of the body from clothing;
you need to stop the bleeding by applying tight tourniquets to the wounds;
It is necessary to lubricate the skin edges of the wound with a disinfectant solution, such as alcohol.

! It is prohibited to independently remove foreign bodies from the wound that are deeply embedded in it.

After this, it is necessary to apply a tight sterile bandage, and if necessary, with extensive wounds, it is necessary to immobilize the wounded limb.

In case of severe injuries, the victim must be hospitalized in the traumatology or surgical department of the hospital. In case of minor injuries, you should contact a surgeon or traumatologist at the clinic.

What types of fractures are there?

There are open and closed fractures. In an open fracture, the damaged bone injures the skin. The main danger of an open fracture is large blood loss, possible infection in the wound and further development of the inflammatory process.

Another type of fracture is a displaced fracture. In a displaced fracture, the position of the bones relative to each other is disrupted. A compression fracture is a strong compression of bones.

Degree of damage

Soft tissue damage is classified into four grades:

The first is shallow abrasions and scratches. The pain syndrome completely disappears within 24 hours.
The second is the formation of a hematoma, swelling, rupture of muscle fibers. Accompanied by sharp pain, which subsequently calms down.
The third is damage to muscle tissue, tendons, and deformation of skin tissue.
Fourth – the place of damage loses its functionality, the changes are clearly pronounced. In this case, urgent medical attention is required.

Treatment of sprains and bruises with the “Sun” device

The AMnp-02 “Sun” device is suitable for treating sprains of the knee joint, ankle and other parts of the body. It has universal healing properties. AMnp-02 uses the method of low-frequency magnetic therapy, which is easily tolerated and can be used for the elderly and children aged 3 years and older.

The device is compact and mobile, with virtually no contraindications. The device is indicated not only for bruises and sprains, but also for arthritis, arthrosis of large joints, lymphostasis (formed when bones are broken), and osteochondrosis of the spine. Ultraviolet irradiators have, among other things, a bactericidal effect, which helps in the treatment of skin diseases associated with a bruise.

The device is sold together with a fixation belt, a cable and a power supply, and a magnetic field indicator. Designed to last for 8-10 years, weighs less than 1kg, making it easy to carry.