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Three Methods:Early Diagnostic Action and TreatmentMaking a SplintMaking a Sling

A broken bone, or fracture, is an injury that requires immediate medical attention. Aside from the actual fracture of the bone itself, other symptoms may accompany the bone injury, depending on the severity of and circumstance in which the injury occurred. Here's what you can do to help keep the victim comfortable and prevent further injury until help arrives.

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EditMethod 1 of 3: Early Diagnostic Action and Treatment

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    Call for emergency help if the injury is severe. Some severe fractures that accompany trauma or major injury will require immediate and expert help. Indications of a severe injury may include one or more of the following:[1]
    • The person is unconscious, is not breathing, or has no heartbeat. You may need to perform CPR.
    • The person is pale, sweaty (cold sweat), short of breath and/or confused. These are symptoms suggestive of shock.
    • The person is bleeding severely.
    • The injury is to the head, neck, back, hip, pelvis, or upper leg.
    • The injured limb or joint looks deformed or seems to be out of the usual position.
    • Any little movement or light pressure causes pain.
    • The bone has pierced through the skin (an "open" fracture).
    • The extremity of the injured arm or leg is numb or bluish at the tip.
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    Stop any bleeding. Hold a clean, preferably sterile, absorbent material over the injury and apply gentle yet direct pressure (without applying over the break). If there is a large object penetrating the skin, do not remove it. It may be clotting the wound, and removing it could cause severe bleeding.
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    Immobilize the injured area. Don't ask the person to move their fractured limb; help them get comfortable where they are. Do not try to move the limb or bone to its original position, unless circulation is cut off.
    • Do not move a person with a hip or pelvis fracture. If they must be moved, however, strap the legs together with a towel or blanket in between them and place the person gently on a board.[2]
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    Use covered ice packs to numb the pain and reduce swelling. Grab any available ice packs and wrap in a light towel. Place gently over the site of the fracture. This will help contain the bleeding, reduce swelling, and help numb the pain.[3]
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    Treat the person for signs of shock. Shock is dangerous because it routes blood and oxygen away from vital organs.[4] This physiological state, if left untreated, can ultimately cause organ damage.
    • Symptoms of shock include:
    • Cool, clammy skin
    • A weak but rapid pulse
    • Nausea
    • Glassy, unfocused eyes
    • An unconscious or semi-conscious state
    • Treat shock by:
    • Having the person lie down and elevate their feet slightly higher than their head
    • Wrapping a towel or blanket around the person to keep them warm
    • Turning the person on their side if they start to vomit from nausea

EditMethod 2 of 3: Making a Splint

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    Splint the bone or the limb in the position in which it was found.[5] Splinting helps to immobilize the bone before professional medical attention can take over. Splinting may not be necessary if emergency services are coming right away; in this case, splinting may cause more harm than good.
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    Get something rigid to act as the skeleton of the splint. Candidate items will include rolled up newspapers and magazines, boards, or even sticks. If you can't find any of these items, a blanket or article of clothing will do.[6]
    • Another limb can also serve as the skeleton of the splint. For example, tape a broken finger or toe to its adjacent finger or toe with padding in between if possible.
  3. Provide First Aid for a Broken Bone Step 8.jpg
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    Extend the skeleton of the splint beyond the injured joints. If your wrist is broken, for example, wrap a newspaper around the hand, wrist, and forearm in order to secure the broken bone as much as possible. If your ankle is broken, wrap the newspaper around the foot, ankle, and lower leg.
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    Tie the splint up. Secure the splint in place by firmly but gently tying it down, using whatever you have at hand: cloth strips, belts, ties, or tape will all do. Tighten to the point that the splint is stabilized without tightening down on the injury itself or cutting off circulation.[7]
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    Ask the injured person whether having the splint makes the injury more painful. If the wearing the splint is more painful than keeping not wearing it, remove it and wait for medical professionals to take the lead.
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    Check the splint for loss of circulation. Periodically check the limb for signs that the splint was put on too tightly. Loosen the splint if it appears to be causing either paleness, swelling, or numbness.
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    Have the injury treated by a physician or a qualified medical professional as soon as possible.

EditMethod 3 of 3: Making a Sling

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    Make a sling for a fracture or break in the arm. A sling can help stabilize an arm that is broken or fractured. It's more difficult to use a sling on other limbs; in these cases, try to simply avoid using the limb while the person awaits medical attention.
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    Get a large pillowcase or large piece of cloth approximately 40 square inches.[8] A pillowcase is ideal for a sling, but other pieces of square fabric will work, too.
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    Cut or fold the square to make it into a triangle.
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    Drape one corner of the cloth over the shoulder on the uninjured side of the person, underneath the arm. The tip of the triangle should be facing away from the person's body and the largest portion of the triangle should be close to the person's arm.
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    Lift the bottom corner up over the injured arm and onto the other shoulder. Make sure the bottom part of the cloth is supporting the injured arm at just above its natural height.
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    Tie the two ends of the cloth together behind the neck. Tie off one overhead knot, and then another, making sure that the patient is comfortable all the while.
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    Have the injury treated by a physician or a qualified medical professional as soon as possible.
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EditTips

  • If you have no access to sterile gauze, use any freshly ironed cloth -- the steam and heat of ironing kills most germs. Avoid cotton wool (sterile or otherwise) as it leaves "hairs" in the wound that will promote infection later.
  • If the wound bleeds through the sterile gauze (or whatever you are using to stop the bleeding) don't remove it. Just add more gauze on top.
  • It is important to stay on the line with the 911 dispatcher in case the condition worsens. This way you can get the instructions you need and provide the proper first aid.

EditWarnings

  • Do not put a sling on a baby.
  • Do not move a victim whose back, neck, or head are injured unless absolutely necessary. If you suspect a back or neck injury and must move the victim, keep the back, head, and neck in a straight line and support them to prevent them from twisting, using a stretcher if possible.
  • This article should not be regarded as a substitute for medical care! You should still make sure that proper and immediate medical attention is provided to the injured person even after having followed the steps outlined above, as broken bones can be serious.

EditRelated wikiHows

How to
Splint a Fractured Elbow in the Wilderness

How to
Deal With a Broken Bone Emergency

How to
Heal a Broken Toe

How to
Help Someone Who Is Having a Seizure

How to
Treat a Puncture Wound

How to
Fix a Dislocated Shoulder

How to
Treat Shock

How to
Splint a Fractured Hand

How to
Realign a Fractured Bone

How to
Prevent Infant Flat Head

EditSources and Citations

  • Additional information from the Kaiser Permanente Healthwise Handbook, 2006.
  1. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-fractures/FA00058
  2. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/firstaid/splint.shtml
  3. ↑ http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/broken_bones.html
  4. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-shock/FA00056
  5. ↑ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000040.htm
  6. ↑ http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/firstaid/splint.shtml
  7. ↑ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000040.htm
  8. ↑ http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/firstaid/sling.shtml

Article Info

Featured Article

Categories: Featured Articles | Bone Fracture Healing and Treatment | First Aid and Emergencies

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Español: Cómo aplicar primeros auxilios debido a fracturas, Italiano: Come Offrire le Cure di Primo Soccorso in Caso di Frattura, Português: Como Realizar os Primeiros Socorros em Casos de Fratura Óssea, Deutsch: Erste Hilfe bei einem Knochenbruch leisten, Русский: оказать первую помощь при переломе

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