Musculoskeletal Trauma Splinting Flashcards
What are the four types of muscle, bone and joint injuries?
o Fractures, a complete break, chip or crack in a bone. Fractures can be open or closed.
o Dislocation, a displacement of a bone away from its normal position at a joint.
o Sprain, tearing ligaments at a joint.
o Strain, stretching and tearing of muscles or tendons.
Do you need to be able to identify the type of injury?
NO – You do not need to be able to identify the type of injury because the type of care provided is universal: The objective is to keep the injured area stable in the position found until more advanced medical personnel take over.
Immobilizing a muscle, bone or joint injury helps keep the injured body part from moving. This also may help to reduce any pain.
What are some common techniques that can be used to immobilize common muscle, bone and joint injuries?
o Anatomic splints: An anatomic splint uses the person’s body as the splint. For example, an arm can be splinted to the chest, or an injured leg to the uninjured leg.
o Soft splints: A soft splint, such as a folded blanket, towel, pillow or folded triangular bandage can be used to form a splint.
o Rigid splints: A rigid splint, such as boards, folded magazines or newspapers or metal strips that do not have sharp edges can serve as splints.
o Sling: A sling is a specific kind of soft splint that uses a triangular bandage tied to support an injured arm, wrist or hand.
o The ground can be used to immobilize and injured leg
What does RICE stand for?
Rest: Avoid movements or activities that cause pain. Help the person find the most comfortable position. If you suspect a head, neck or spinal injury, leave the person lying flat.
Immobilize: Stabilize the injured area in which it was found. In most cases, applying a splint will not be necessary. The ground can provide support to an injured leg, ankle or foot, or the person may cradle an injured elbow or arm in a position of comfort.
Cold: Cold helps to reduce swelling and eases pain and discomfort. Apply a cold pack for periods of 20 minutes.
Elevate: Elevate the injury above the level of the heart to help slow the flow of blood and reduce swelling. Elevation is particularly effective in controlling swelling in extremity injuries. However, never attempt to elevate an injured area if it causes pain.
An open fracture occurs when a broken bone tears through the skin and surrounding soft tissue. How do you care for someone with an open fracture?
To care for a person with an open fracture, follow these steps:
o Summon more advanced medical personnel.
o Place sterile dressings around the open fracture.
o Control any bleeding, as necessary.
o Bandage the dressings in place around the fracture.
o Do not move the exposed bone and limb, or attempt to align or place the bones back into the body.
