First Aid/Musculoskeletal Injuries
Introduction — Issues in Providing Care — Primary Assessment & Basic Life Support — Secondary Assessment — Circulatory Emergencies
Respiratory Emergencies — Soft Tissue Injuries — Bone & Joint Injuries — Environmental Illness & Injury
Medical Conditions & Poisoning — Advanced Topics — Appendices — Meta content
[edit] Sprain or Fracture?
Sprains, strains, dislocations, and fractures can all present with the same symptoms. It is very difficult to determine what the injury may be. It is not necessary to know which injury the victim has as the treatment will be the same for all of them.
If the patient has any of the following symptoms, you should treat for a possible muscle or skeletal injury.
- Deformity at the injury site
- Crepitus - A grinding or cracking sound when the affected area is moved (usually accompanied by extreme pain). (Do not test for this! It should be reported by the patient.)
- Bruising and swelling
- No pulse below injury site
- Inability to use the affected body part normally
If the injury appears to be severe, EMS should be activated as soon as possible.
[edit] Treatment
The treatment for any muscle, bone or joint injury follows the simple acronym "RICE".
- Rest - Rest is very important for soft tissue injuries, both in the short term and for longer term care.
- Immobilize - Sprains, strains and dislocations can be slinged; fractures should be splinted and slinged.
- Cold - Ice should be applied periodically, for around 10-20 minutes at a time. You should then take the ice off for around the same time it was on for. In order to avoid problems, always place some fabric between the ice and the skin.
- Elevation - Where appropriate, the injury should be elevated, as this may help reduce the localized swelling which occurs. Do not elevate if this causes more pain to the victim.
Bone & Joint Injuries
Musculoskeletal Injuries — Immobilization — Head & Facial Injuries — Suspected Spinal Injury
