Fractures

Fracture is a broken bone, there are two types of fractures to keep on eye out for:

• Closed Fracture: A fracture where the skin is still intact (break of bone is covered)
• Open Fracture: (Compound Fracture) A fracture where there is mild or severe bleeding

Sprain: Injury where there is a result of the stretching or tearing of a ligament

Strain: Injury where there is a result of the stretching or tearing of a ligament

The symptoms of these injuries are mild to severe pain with stiffness, bruising and/or swelling. Trying to differentiate a fracture between strain/sprain can be difficult, however for First Aid treatment, it is the same. Therefore, when attempting to diagnose the two, assume that the injury could be either, and vice versa.

First Aid treatments:

• If there is a bystander, ask for them to call for help
• Proceed to CPR if the person is unresponsive, not breathing or not moving
• Stop the bleeding by applying pressure to the wound with a sterile bandage or a clean cloth
• With a towel (paper or cloth) between the skin and ice, place ice on the wound
• Attempt to raise the injured part of the body, stop if it begins to hurt worse
• If the person is breathing in short, rapids breath or not responsive, lay the person down with the head slightly lower than the trunk/torso and have the legs and feet elevated