You can get injured literally at every turn. Both adults and children are at risk. And it doesn’t matter if you are engaged in a traumatic sport or just go to the kitchen to drink water, one awkward movement can lead to a bruise, sprain or fracture. Therefore, you need to know how to act with the victim in different situations. The algorithm for providing first aid directly depends on the type of injury. But an inexperienced person is not always able to correctly recognize the type of damage.
How can you tell a fracture from a bruise? This is one of the most difficult questions for those who are learning to give first aid. Let's try to find the answer.
What is a bruise?
Bruise - internal damage to tissues or organs, which is not accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the skin. This type of injury can be the result of a fracture, dislocation, or sprain.
A bruise appears as a result of a fall or a strong blow. Soft tissues and organs located in the injured area suffer. At the site of impact, a hematoma is formed - an accumulation of liquid or clotted blood. If the bruise of the arm or leg was severe, the tissues around the bruise flow, impairing the mobility of the limb.
Whatis a fracture?
Fracture - a complete or partial violation of the integrity of a bone or cartilage. Accompanied by injury to surrounding tissues: muscles, skin, blood vessels, nerve endings. Fractures can appear for two reasons:
- due to the impact on the bone of external forces that can break the strength of the skeleton;
- with a slight injury, if a person suffers from a disease that changes the structure of bone tissue.
The fracture can be open or closed. With an injury of the first type, the skin is injured, severe bleeding appears. Damaged bone is visible on the surface. In the second type of injury, the skin remains intact, there is no external bleeding. A hematoma may appear.
The symptoms of a bruise and a closed fracture are very similar. At first glance, both injuries have no distinguishing features other than a bruise. Therefore, people have a question: “How to distinguish a fracture from a bruise?”
Learning to distinguish a fracture from a bruise
Understanding how to distinguish a fracture from a bruise is not as difficult as it might seem. Key Features:
- If a person has a fracture, the pain makes itself felt for several hours. May intensify over time. When bruised, the pain gradually subsides.
- When a fracture occurs, the swelling of the damaged area increases by 2-3 days. When hit, it appears immediately after the hit.
- If the integrity of the bone in the limb is damaged, it is impossible to perform physical activity due toonset of severe pain. For example, in the case when the hand is injured, you cannot clench your fist. If the leg is injured, it cannot be fully extended.
- In case of a fracture with a displacement of the bone, the limb can be deformed. It may also change its length compared to he althy.
To understand what type of injury a person has, you need to press on the damaged area in the longitudinal direction. If an arm or leg is injured, ask the patient to carefully transfer support to it. With a fracture, a sharp pain will appear in the damaged area.
If you cannot independently determine what type of injury the victim has, do not try to provide first aid. Better wait for the doctor to arrive.
How to distinguish a fracture from a bruised finger?
It is not so easy to understand by external signs what type of injury the victim has. Both with a closed fracture and with a bruise, the same symptoms appear:
- a swelling appears on the affected area;
- skin turns blue;
- injured area hurts.
You can distinguish between a fracture of the little finger and a bruise by the following signs:
- the length of the damaged phalanx has changed;
- finger feels constant sharp pain;
- when feeling, you can detect bone deformation.
When bruised, pain in the finger will occur during physical activity. It will pass in a couple of days. If the patient has a fracture, the pain will only increase with time. Puffiness will also become stronger.
How to distinguish a fracture from a bruise on your own? Practical experience is important here. There is always a chance that a person without medical education will make a mistake. Therefore, do not treat yourself.
It will be useful to visit the hospital and take an X-ray examination to get an accurate diagnosis.
Fractured or bruised toe - how to understand?
It is possible to distinguish a fracture of the little toe from a bruise by the same signs as the type of damage to the phalanx of the hand. There is constant pain, which becomes unbearable in a few days. The swelling gradually increases. The finger is getting shorter. When feeling, you can find a protrusion of the bone. If the fracture is displaced, severe deformity of the finger will be noticeable.
When a toe is bruised, it will be difficult for the victim to transfer support to the injured limb. As in the case of a bruised phalanx on the arm, with motor activity, acute pain will appear, which will quickly pass if the treatment is carried out correctly.
We figured out how to distinguish a fracture from a bruised toe or hand. Now let's find out how to properly provide first aid.
Actions in case of limb injury
You can provide first aid by following the algorithm below:
- apply a cold compress or ice wrapped in cloth to the injury site;
- if there is damage to the skin, treat the wound with an antiseptic and apply a bandage;
- whensevere pain, take anesthetics.
The bruise is treated with special anti-inflammatory ointments. They relieve swelling, promote resorption of the hematoma and relieve pain. The recovery period after an injury lasts 7-14 days.
If the hematoma formed after the impact does not go away for a long time, it is recommended to consult a doctor. In rare cases, surgery is required to cope with the disease.
How to help with a broken finger?
First aid for a fracture is of great importance for further treatment. It is important not to make the situation worse. First of all, with a closed fracture of the finger, it is necessary to immobilize it. For this, a tire is made from improvised materials. A pen, an ice cream stick, a twig will do. The splint is applied from the inside of the finger and secured with a sterile bandage or any other tissue.
If the fracture is open, it is necessary to treat the wound with an antiseptic: Chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, Miramistin. In case of bleeding, a gauze bandage or cotton swab is applied to the damaged area. Then fix the injured finger. To relieve the pain symptom, use "Analgin", "Ketanov", "Nurofen".
In case of a fracture, you should definitely consult a doctor. It is impossible to cope with such an injury on your own.
You learned how to tell a fracture from a bruise. We got acquainted with the first aid technique for injuring a finger or toe. By following the instructions, you can easily help the victim. But if you are not confident in your abilities, you should not touch the injured limb. Improperly provided first aid will only aggravate the patient's condition.
