Injury Management Flashcards
What is a Fracture and what types of fractures are there?
A fracture is when there is a break or crack in a bone. There are 4 types of fractures: closed, open, stable, unstable.
What causes a fracture?
Direct force - where a heavy blow is received
Indirect force - a twisting or wrenching motion
Considerable force is needed to break a bone unless the bone is diseased or old.
What are the signs and symptoms of a fracture?
- Bruising
- Swelling
- Loss of function
- Irregularities
- Pain
- Deformity
- Unnatural movement
- Crepitus
- Tenderness
What is the treatment of a closed fracture?
- Advise the casualty to keep still
- Consider appropriate pain relief options
- Support the joints above and below injured area
- Immobilise with slings or bandages - place padding around injury to provide extra support
- Check circulation below injury site
- Treat for shock - do not raise an injured leg
- Hospital
- Do not allow to casualty to eat or drink
What is the treatment of an open fracture?
- Advise the casualty to keep still
- Caution - the ends of a fractured bone are sharp
- Cover the wound with a sterile dressing
- Apply pressure around the injury to control bleeding - do not press on the protruding bone
- Secure dressings and padding with a bandage
- Support the limb
- Immobilise as per closed fracture
- Treat for shock
- Do not raise an injured leg
- Elevate the uninjured limb if shock is present
- Check circulation below injury site
- Do not allow casualty to eat or drink
What is the function of the spine?
The spine supports the head, makes the upper body flexible, helps support the body weight and protects the spinal cord.
What is the spinal column made up of?
The spinal column is made ip of 33 bones split as follows:
- 7 Cervical
- 12 Thoracic
- 5 Lumbar
- 5 Sacral (fused)
- 4 Coccygeal (fused)
Identify MOI’s that alert you to a spinal injury
- Fall from height
- Falling awkwardly
- Diving into a shallow pool
- Falling from a horse/motorbike
- Sudden deceleration - RTC
- Head/facial injuries
- Heavy object falling across the back
What are the signs and symptoms of a spinal injury?
Pain in the neck or back at the injury site - may be masked. Deformity/irregularity/stepping/tenderness
When the spinal cord is damaged there may be:
- Loss of control over the limbs
- Loss of sensation
- Abnormal sensations
- Incontinence
- Breathing difficulties
- Shock
What is the treatment of a spinal injury for a conscious casualty?
- Reassure casualty
- Do not move them from the position found in unless they are in danger or become unresponsive
- Advise casualty not to move
- Call 999/112
- Apply C-spine control
- Improvise support
- Maintain support of head and neck until help arrives
- Monitor and record vital signs
What is the treatment of a spinal injury for an unconscious casualty?
- Check and maintain airway
- Apply and maintain C-spine control
- Check for creating
- Call 999/112
- CPR as req
- Monitor and record vital signs
What is a dislocated joint?
A dislocated joint is where the bones become partially or completely pulled out of a normal position. This can have associated fracture or ligament damage and is caused by violent muscle contraction or force wrenching the bone out of abnormal position.
What are the common dislocated locations?
- Shoulder
- Thumb
- Finger
- Jaw
What are the signs and symptoms of a dislocation?
- Severe pain at or near the joint
- Unable to move affected joint
- Shortening, bending or deformity of the joint
- Swelling and bruising at the site of injury
What is the treatment of a dislocated joint?
- Advise the casualty to keep still
- Support injured part in most comfortable position
- Immobilise
- Remove rings, bracelets and watches of hands and arms
- Do not attempt to replace the dislocation
- Arrange transport to hospital
- Monitor and record vital signs
- Check circulation below bandages
- Do not allow the Casualty to eat or drink
- If in doubt, treat as a fracture
