First aid at changes

Change – a widespread type of injuries at which there is a disturbance of integrity of a bone. Changes divide into full and partial (cracks), and also on closed when integuments remain whole, and opened – when in the place of a change there is a gaping wound formed by bone fragments.

The change is a serious injury and always demands medical intervention therefore in all cases when there is a suspicion of a fracture, it is necessary to ask for medical care. The purpose of pre-medical first aid at changes is ensuring rest of the injured area (not to allow injury of muscles and sinews), whenever possible pain relief and the fastest delivery of the victim in hospital, for rendering the qualified medical care.

Symptoms of a fracture

The main symptoms of the happened fracture is the megalgia, hypostasis and pathological mobility in the injured area. Exist also accessory signs which depend on a look and localization of a change, but to suspect a change, it is enough of three main, and sometimes even one – severe pain. The matter is that hypostasis is not always noticeable to an inexperienced eye. For example, it is difficult to be found in people of a dense constitution, and in some cases it can be and not too expressed. As for pathological mobility, it also can be not always found, for example, if the change is located close to a joint.

The doctor after carrying out a X-ray analysis will be able precisely to define existence of a change, and for first-aid treatment true will consider a fracture any injury of a bone which is followed by the severe pain amplifying in attempt of the movement. If afterwards it turns out that the injury is less serious, for example, a bruise or dislocation, and first aid as is given at a change, it will not do any harm to the victim whereas underestimation of weight of an injury can lead to very serious complications.

Measures for first-aid treatment at changes

First aid at a change consists in an immobilization, i.e. giving of an immovability of the injured part of a body, and the fastest delivery of the victim in medical institution. When carrying out an immobilization it is important to follow the general rules:

1. It is not necessary to try to give to the injured bone the correct form. It can lead to painful shock, and also to an additional (secondary) injury of soft and solid tissues;
2. If a change open the broken-off sites of a bone are also visible, it is not necessary to try "to move" them in soft tissues. At splintered changes it is not necessary to try delete, to set splinters. It is necessary to make an immobilization in such situation in which there is an affected site at the time of first-aid treatment;
3. It is impossible to transport the victim with multiple injuries, including multiple fractures, and also with spinal fractures and a basin. First aid at changes of this kind is given on site, and in hospital the ambulance is engaged in delivery;
4. At an intensive pain syndrome it is possible to give to the victim anesthetic. Paracetamol, Analginum or any other anesthetic of non-prescription dispensing will approach;
5. In cold season it is necessary to watch that the victim did not overcool, including that the injured extremity did not overcool. For this purpose on it it is possible to outline something from warm clothes or a blanket, and injured to give to drink hot tea (if there is such opportunity).

Rules of an immobilization at various changes

Before transportation of the victim in hospital the struck area needs to be recorded that the movements in this site did not aggravate an injury.

Fractures of fingers of hands and legs:

At fractures of fingers of hands or legs for an immobilization it is enough to bandage the injured finger to next.

Fractures of extremities:

At fractures of extremities impose the tire. Shin can make of any improvised material which is rather strong to hold an extremity in a motionless state.

It is necessary to impose the tire, following the following rules:

1. The tire is installed so that to fix not less than two joints – located above and lower than the place of a change;
2. Between the tire and skin there shall be a fabric layer;
3. The tire has to be strongly fixed, is inadmissible that it dangled since in this case instead of means of an immobilization it turns into the accessory injuring factor.

Fractures of edges:

At fractures of edges the victim needs to apply a pressure, compressing bandage a thorax which purpose to put sufficient pressure in order that the person breathed more at the expense of stomach muscles - it is and will provide fixing, and will reduce pain as at breath the thorax moves. It is not necessary to talk to the victim as the speech also leads to morbidity strengthening.

Spinal fractures and basin:

At spinal fractures and a basin, and also multiple fractures, injured it is not necessary to move, do it the people having sufficient qualification have to. However if such opportunity is absent to give first aid at changes of this kind it is necessary to make a stretcher with the firm basis, observing the maximum precaution, to shift the victim to them. Under knees it is necessary to put the roller from fabric (it is possible to use the curtailed clothes) then to record the patient on a stretcher by means of wide bandage or the fabric replacing them and to transport, without allowing sharp movements.

First aid at open changes

First aid at open changes in general consists of the same measures, as at closed, however in this case it is necessary to stop bleeding as big blood loss is more dangerous, than the most difficult change. For a stop of bleeding it is necessary to apply a bandage, and in case of need burn down (see. "First aid at bleedings"). It is desirable to process a surface of a wound an antiseptic agent (alcohol, iodine), but it is not necessary to delete fabric scraps, splinters, etc. from a wound.