Chapter 29A - Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic Injuries Flashcards
Sprains – signs/symptoms
– Pain and tenderness
– swelling
– discoloration
– may have heard it snap
– often significant enough to prevent walking
– often significant especially of the ankle
– delayed it, sometimes by 24 hours
Sprains – pathophysiology
A torn ligament that a joint
Sprains - treatment
R. I. C. E.
Rest - stop using the injured joint
Ice - apply an ice pack, remember to insulate the skin
Compression - wrap joint with an elastic bandage
Elevation - keep limb above heart as much as possible
Strains – pathophysiology
A torn tendon (or muscle)
Strains – signs/symptoms
– Pain and tenderness – severe weakness – may have heard it snap - can be significantly usually discomfort is more likely – extreme point tenderness if touched
deformity, swelling, discoloration unlikely
Strains – treatment
R. I. C. E.
Dislocations - pathophysiology
Usually involve significant tearing of ligaments at a joint sufficient for the bones to come out of normal alignment
Dislocations – signs/symptoms
- Deformity (usually dramatic)
– pain and tenderness (usually extreme pain)
– swelling (occurs, but takes time, and may be mastered by the deformity)
– discoloration (occurs, but takes time, possibly many hours
– inability to move (as a joint frequently locks in the dislocation position, there is often true inability to move
Dislocations - treatment
Treat as you would a fracture
Fractures – pathophysiology
A bone breaks
Fractures – signs/symptoms
– Deformity (often present, but not always)
– pain and tenderness (usually significant pain)
– swelling, Edema (occurs, but takes time)
– discoloration (occurs, but takes time)
– inability to move (usually it can be moved, it isn’t because it hurts too much to do so)
– crepitus (very diagnostic)
– patient information (usually they can tell you that they heard a break)
Fractures – treatments
– Immobilize
– ice (at least considerate)
– elevation (if possible)
– sterile dressing (if an open fracture)
remove any rings immediately before limb swelling causes them to create tourniquets effect
Explain the rationale for splinting fractures
By immobilizing the bone ends, it reduces the pain caused by movement. Splinting helps minimize the possibility of further tissue damage in the bone ends, and helps control bleeding by allowing for blood clotting.
Basic principles of splinting - fractures
The split must immobilize the bone ends, and adjacent joints.
So for a forearm fracture, the splint must immobilize both the wrist and elbow joints
Basic principles of splinting - joint injuries
Splint must immobilize the joint, and the adjacent bones
So for a fractured wrist, the splint includes the full forearm and supports the full hand