Question

At a company picnic at a state park out of town, a child falls from a tree and fractures her forearm. You give appropriate first aid (RICE), and the parents now will take her to the nearest emergency department.

Should you splint the arm?

If so, describe the steps for doing it.

Answer 1

The arm should better be splinted for preventing further tissue and nerve damage.children in pain can be difficult to manage and the chances of the injury getting worse is higher if the transport is rough or takes more time to get treatment.As the RICE protocol have been followed and first aid is provided, in the available time and with available materials,arm should be splinted to prevent further movement of the affected area.if splint is not available,cardboard or even sticks can be used for the purpose.The following are the steps to be followed while splinting forearm.

1. Arrange all the articles needed. A splint,roller gauze,towels or cotton for padding,tape,scissors.anything that immobilise the fracture is good to use.

2. Determine the location of the broken bone and assess the arm to make sure victim can still move fingers, feel touch, and has circulation to his or her hand.Assess the broken arm by feeling the area of the broken bone. Deformity, crepitus (a grinding feeling under the skin), or discoloration may be present in the area of the fracture.in most cases, the victim will just feel pain and tenderness near the injury.Assess the victim's circulation, sensation, and motion in the hand.

3. Get the splint ready to apply,assure it is snugging and strong but breathable.it should be padded well to promote circulation and reduce friction and more injuries.

4. Position the splint on to the forearm.correctly fit it onto the fractured arm and make sure it snugs,but not too tight and check whether it is serving ita purpose.

5. Maintain position of function.Put something in the victim's hand (like a soft ball or a roll of gauze) to maintain the position of function. The position of function is achieved when the fingers are slightly curled.​

6. Fill all voids between the broken arm and the splint with additional padding.

7. Secure the splint around the broken arm with tape or roller gauze.Wrap the splint snugly around the broken arm. The splint should support the broken arm on all sides and immobilize the arm above and below the broken bone.

8. Check Arm for Movement.once the splint is attached, the broken arm should be securely immobilized and should not be able to move.

9. After the broken arm is secured in the splint, reassess the hand to determine if function and circulation are still intact. Recheck circulation, sensation, and motion.

10. Reduce further inflammation or swelling with cold fomentation.ice should not be kept directly on the skin.get the patient to the nearest emergency centre as soon as possible.