Fracture First Aid
Recently my son fell over, not usually a crier, he cried a bit. With kids it is hard to tell the serious accidents from the not-so-serious accidents. Turns out, he had broken his leg. So common is this kind of break among his peer that its called a “Toddler Fracture” Unfortunately, one of the more common serious injuries that kids suffer is a broken bone, with the most common being an arm or wrist, as the natural instinct when falling is to extend an arm to break the fall. When a child does fracture a bone, there is likely to be a lot of pain, probably tears and shock. My son was in so much pain that he kept passing out.
With any fracture, you will need to take a trip to the doctor, and depending on the how serious you think the injury, you may need to go to the emergency room. There are several steps you can take, however, to help your child.
Fracture First Aid
1. Immobilise the limb
Make your child comfortable and take measures to immobilise the limb. This might be by applying a splint or sling. If you don’t have a sling, you can use your child’s shirt to support the arm and keep it out of the way. Fold the bottom of the t-shirt up and over the arm at the elbow, and knot it at the back to hold the arm tightly in place. To create a splint, wrap a newspaper around the leg and and secure with a scarf or other piece of clothing.
2. Ice and elevate
To ease the swelling apply ice, then elevate to help with pain relief. These instant ice packs can be applied directly to the skin and remain cold for 10 minutes. Leave it on for no longer than 20 minutes at a time.
Of course it is helpful to practice some of these skills before you need to use them. The best way to do this is to enrol in a First Aid Course. We have first aid courses available in Melbourne at various locations.
The most popular course is HLTAID003 Provide First Aid. This is recognised as a workplace qualification and can be completed in 1 day. HLTAID003 includes defibrillator training. Click here to enrol
If you work in Early Childhood or in a care setting then HLTAID004 is the qualification you need. It includes extensive modules in Asthma and Anaphylaxis response. Click here to enrol.
If you just need a CPR update HLTAID001 is for you. It will take you through any changes in ARC guidelines and provide with an opportunity to practice those very essential compressions. We know that it is quality CPR that makes all the difference when responding to Cardiac Arrest. To enrol in a CPR course click here.
