Everyone can get into an emergency. And in this case, knowledge of the rules of first aid can save a life. The main thing is to keep your mind clear and not try to perform manipulations that require special training.
PHC rules
The task of the person who provides first aid is not to make the victim worse than he is now. It should relieve pain and provide rest to the damaged area. This is the main task of first aid (PMP) for fractures.
First of all, it is necessary to assess the severity of the victim's condition and find the place of injury. Then, if necessary, stop the bleeding. Until the arrival of qualified assistance, it is not recommended to move a person, especially if he has a fracture of the spine or there is damage to internal organs. In some emergencies, evacuation from the scene is vital. In this case, use a rigid stretcher or shields.
Isolated trauma requires a slightly different approach. It is necessary to immobilize the injured limb with a tire, giving it the most physiological position. Be sure to fix the joint before and after the fracture. If there are no other complaints, then the victim is transported to a medical facility.
Open or closed fracture?
PMP for fractures depends on the form, type and severity of the injury. During the examination of the victim, it is necessary to determine the type of fracture, since depending on this, first aid will be somewhat different. Any diagnosis is based on certain criteria. In the case of a fracture, there are relative and absolute signs that indicate the presence of an injury.
Relative features:
- Pain. When tapping, trying to change the position of the injured limb, discomfort occurs.
- Edema. Hides the picture of the fracture, is part of the inflammatory response to injury, compresses soft tissues and can move bone fragments.
- Hematoma. Indicates that the integrity of the vasculature has been compromised at the site of injury.
- Violation of function. It manifests itself in limited mobility or inability to withstand the usual load.
Absolute signs:
- Strange, unnatural position of the bone, its deformation.
- The presence of mobility where it never was.
- Presence of crepitus (air bubbles) under the skin.
- When an open fracture is visible to the naked eye, skin damage and bone fragments.
This is how you can determine the presence and type offracture.
Upper limb fracture
PMP for fractures of the forearm is to give the limb the correct position and fix it to the body. To do this, you need to bend your arm at the elbow so that you get a right angle, and press your palm to the chest of the victim. For splinting, choose a material that is longer than the forearm including the wrist. It is fixed on the limb in the presented position, then the arm is hung on a bandage, which is a piece of fabric tied with a ring and thrown over the neck to eliminate possible stress.
A broken shoulder requires a slightly different tactic. The position of the limb is also attached at an angle of ninety degrees, but two tires are applied:
- outside the shoulder so that it falls below the elbow;
- on the inner surface of the arm from the armpit to the elbow.
Tires are first bandaged separately and then fastened together. The hand must also be hung on a belt, scarf, or any piece of cloth that is at hand. It is necessary to transport the victim to the hospital only while sitting.
Fracture of lower limb bones
In order to provide PMP for leg fractures, you need to stock up on a large number of long and wide tires (boards, pickets, etc.). When immobilizing a limb in case of a hip fracture, the first splint should go outside, with its upper end resting against the armpit fossa, and with the other end reaching the foot. The second tire goes from the crotch to the foot, protruding somewhat beyond it. Each of them is tiedseparately and then together.
If splint materials are not available, the affected limb can be bandaged to the uninjured leg.
A tibial fracture requires the same fixation as a hip fracture. The victim is delivered to the hospital exclusively lying down.
Rib and jaw fractures
Since there is nothing to fix them in case of a fracture of the ribs, a tight bandage is applied to the chest. The victim is recommended to breathe exclusively with the help of the abdominal muscles, without loading the chest. If there are not enough bandages, you can use pieces of cloth or scarves. It is important that a person does not lie down in any case, as sharp fragments of the ribs can damage the lungs, heart, pierce the diaphragm.
A broken jaw is most often the result of a fight or a fall. Therefore, it is quite reasonable to assume that the victim also has a concussion. First aid in this case is to cover the person's mouth, give him analgesics and fix the jaw with a bandage, tying its ends at the crown. The main thing is to monitor the position of the tongue so that it does not block the airways. If the victim is unconscious, then it is necessary to lay him on his side or face down. Transport immobilization for head fractures should be in a horizontal state. This will help avoid stress on damaged bones and prevent asphyxia.
First aid for an open fracture
PMP for an open fracture should be done as soon as possible. In such a situation, the risk of developing complications, such aspain shock, collapse, massive bleeding increases significantly.
Therefore, the algorithm of actions is:
- Examine the victim and assess his condition.
- Give him pain medication to prevent traumatic shock.
- Treat the skin around the wound with peroxide solution, iodine or any other antiseptic.
- Use a sterile gauze pad to gently dry the bottom and edges of the wound.
- Apply a sterile bandage folded several times over the wound, but do not press it.
- Immobilize from improvised means.
- In no case do not set the fragments!
- Call an ambulance.
PMP for a closed fracture will have similar steps, except for those items that talk about wound care.
Immobilization
Immobilization is the immobilization of a damaged part of the body. It is necessarily performed with fractures of bones and joints, rupture of nerve and muscle fibers, burns. The pain may cause the patient to make jerky movements that can aggravate the injury.
Transport immobilization is to immobilize the victim while he is taken to the hospital. Since some shaking is inevitable during movement, good fixation of the patient avoids aggravating the situation.
There are rules under which the splinting will be the least painful for the victim.
- The tire shouldbe large enough to fix the joint above and below the fracture site. And if the hip is damaged, the entire leg is immobilized.
- They form a splint either on a he althy limb of the victim, or on themselves, so as not to cause additional inconvenience to the patient.
- Splinting is done over clothing to avoid infection of the wound.
- To avoid bedsores where the bone is close to the skin, a soft material is placed under the splint.
- The splint is not fixed on the side where the broken bone protrudes, because it is strictly forbidden to set it before arriving at the hospital.
Types of medical splints
Medical splint can be of several modifications, depending on the purpose of its use. There are prosthetic splints that both hold the affected area in one position and replace the missing bone area.
The following types of immobilization tires are distinguished:
- Kramer's splint is a thin wire mesh topped with several layers of bandage or soft cloth. The frame can be given any shape that is necessary in a particular case, this makes it universal.
- Diterichs tire - consists of two wooden boards with holes drilled in them, through which belts or fabric are stretched. The kit also includes a small flat sleeve that is inserted into the hole, fixing the tire at the desired level.
- A medical pneumatic splint is a sealed chamber inside which an injured limb is placed. Thenair is forced between its walls, and the part of the body is securely fixed.
- Schanz's tire is a fixation collar used in diseases of the spine, as well as to prevent displacement of the cervical vertebrae during back injuries.
PMP for bleeding
Bleeding is a consequence of a violation of the integrity of the vessel wall. It can be external or internal, arterial, venous or capillary. The ability to stop bleeding is essential for human survival.
PMP for bleeding involves following some rules.
- Rinse a bleeding wound only if caustic or poisonous substances have entered it. In case of other contamination (sand, metal, earth), it is impossible to wash the damaged area with water.
- Never lubricate the wound. This prevents healing.
- The skin around the wound is mechanically cleaned and treated with an antiseptic solution.
- Don't touch an open wound with your hands or remove blood clots as these blood clots hold back the bleeding.
- Only a doctor can remove foreign bodies from a wound!
- After applying a tourniquet, you must immediately call an ambulance.
Bandaging
The dressing is applied directly to the wound. To do this, use a sterile bandage or a clean cloth. If you doubt the sterility of the material, then it is better to drip iodine on it so that the stain is larger than the wound. A bandage or cotton roll is placed on top of the fabric and bandaged tightly. With proper applicationbandage bleeding stops and she does not get wet.
Attention: with an open fracture and a protruding bone, it is forbidden to tightly bandage and set the bone! Just apply a bandage
Applying a tourniquet or twist
A hemostatic tourniquet can be both a help in the fight against bleeding and aggravate the severity of the victim's condition. This manipulation is resorted to only in case of very severe bleeding that cannot be stopped by other methods.
If there is no medical rubber tourniquet at hand, then a regular thin hose will do. In order not to pinch the skin, you can put a twist on the clothes (sleeve or leg) or enclose a piece of any dense fabric. The limb is wrapped with a tourniquet several times so that the turns do not overlap each other, but there are no gaps between them either. The first one is the weakest, and with each subsequent one it is necessary to tighten it more strongly. A hemostatic tourniquet can be tied when the blood stops flowing. Be sure to record the time of applying the tourniquet and fix it in a conspicuous place. In the warm season, you can keep it up to two hours, and in the cold - only an hour.
