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First Aid

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Bones & Joints

Fracture causes

  • Direct force (blow, pressure)
  • Indirect force (bending, stretching, twisting)
  • Stress fractures (chronic overload, disease)

Open vs closed

Closed: skin intact. Open: skin and soft tissue broken over the fracture — infection risk, bleeding.

Fracture signs

  • Swelling at the site
  • Pain on touch or movement
  • Limited mobility
  • Visible deformity, abnormal shape
  • Multiple long-bone or pelvic fractures → shock from internal bleeding

Fracture first aid

  • Examine the patient
  • Call 112 for: open fractures, leg fractures, spine, pelvis
  • Check distal warmth, colour, mobility
  • Hold above and below the fracture
  • DO NOT realign or pull during immobilisation
  • Immobilise so joints above and below are still
  • Open fracture: cut clothing, stop bleeding, sterile cover, THEN immobilise
  • Upper limb: triangular cloth + bind to body
  • Lower limb: dedicated splint or strap to the healthy leg
  • Re-check distal pulse/sensation/colour every 5 min
  • NO food or drink (possible surgery under anaesthesia)
  • SAMPLE

Sprain

Joint surfaces displace and return — capsule, ligaments, tendons, muscles damaged. Swelling, bruising, painful movement. Common in knee and ankle.

Dislocation

Joint head leaves and stays out of the socket. Deformity, bruising, swelling, blocked movement, severe pain. DO NOT try to relocate yourself — risk of severe injury to vessels and nerves. Common: shoulder, elbow, fingers, kneecap.

PLOD — joint and soft-tissue injury

  • P — Počitek (Rest / immobilisation)
  • L — Led (Ice / cooling)
  • O — Obveza (Bandage / compression)
  • D — Dvig (Elevation)
Bones & Joints