Transcript Extremities

Extremities
Care and Treatment
Extremities
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Assessment guidelines:
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Look for signs and symptoms of fractures and
dislocations
Remember D-O-T-S
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Deformity
Open wound
Tenderness
Swelling
Look at and gently feel the extremity, starting at
the distal end (fingers or toes) and working
upward.
Assessment guidelines (cont.)
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Consider the mechanism of injury in evaluating the
possibility of a fracture and its location:
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Forces that cause musculoskeletal injuries are direct
forces (e.g. a car bumper strikes a pedestrian’s tibia),
Indirect forces along the long axis of bones (e.g. a person
falls on to his or her outstretched hand, fracturing the
clavicle),
And twisting forces, (e.g. a person’s foot is fixed in one
spot while the leg is suddenly twisted).
Remember to check the extremity for circulation,
sensation, and movement.
General First Aid Principles
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R.I.C.E.
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Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation
Apply appropriate splint to immobilize
fractures and dislocations
Bone Injuries
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Remove or cut away clothing over injury site.
Look and feel for D-O-T-S
Bleeding from open fracture?
If No:
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Check circulation, sensation, and movement
Apply splint
Recheck circulation, sensation and movement periodically
Seek medical attention
If Yes:
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Control bleeding; do not push bone; cover wound and bone with a
dressing.
Check circulation, sensation, and movement
Apply splint
Recheck circulation, sensation and movement periodically
Seek medical attention
Muscle Injuries
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Blow to a muscle?
 If Yes:
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Contusion
Use R.I.C.E. procedures
If No:
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Uncontrolled muscle spasm?
If Yes:
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Cramp
Drink cool water
For affected muscle, apply ice pack; gently stretch and/or apply pressure
If No:
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Muscle stretched or torn?
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If Yes:
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Strain (pulled muscle)
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Use R.I.C.E.
Joint injuries
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Injury located in a joint?
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If Yes:
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Deformed appearance of joint?
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If No:
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Sprain
If Yes:
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Dislocation
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Check circulation, sensation and movement
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Stabilize joint
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Seek medical attention.
If No:
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Probable strain (muscle pull or tear) or contusion (blow to a
muscle)