Fractures can be open or closed, with open fractures requiring immediate medical attention due to the risk of infection. Closed fractures can still be serious, and it’s important to immobilize the affected area and seek medical attention. First aid courses can be helpful, but expert medical care is necessary for proper treatment.
Fractures or bone fractures are characterized in a number of ways. Although “broken bone” is the more colloquial and least frequently used term in the medical community, it essentially means the same thing as fracture. When a person has a fracture, damage has occurred to the bone and this could include breaking the bone into two or more pieces or breaking it so that a visible “break” can be seen on X-rays. Sometimes these breaks are classified as a closed fracture or an open fracture.
It is very easy to understand the difference between these two classes. An open fracture not only damages the bone, but also breaks the skin. This is a medical emergency due to the potential for infection and the need, in most cases, for surgery to replace the bone and close any wounds caused by the bone breaking. There are many potential treatments for an open fracture depending on its location, but in most cases, surgery and antibiotics are needed right away to minimize the likelihood of infection and promote bone healing.
In contrast to this is the closed fracture. This is when the bone injury breaks down, but the break does not cause the skin to break. This may still be medically urgent depending on the area of the fracture. A fractured head or pelvis is extremely serious even when the skin remains intact.
A minor fracture in an arm, wrist, or perhaps collarbone requires immediate attention, but doesn’t necessarily require calling 911 unless there are other serious injuries or no help is available. It’s a judgment call, but many people are able to wait a few moments and, with help, head to the emergency room, emergency room, or doctor’s office to get diagnosed with what appears to be a very minor closed fracture. If a fracture is suspected, most people should not drive to any of these places themselves, as the possibility of going into shock from pain is high.
In some cases, a closed fracture can be as potentially dangerous as an open one. Moving the damaged area could cause serious damage to the subcutaneous tissues, and undeniably, these breaks can be extremely painful. People are advised not to ask anyone with a suspected fracture to move the area that may be injured. Instead, the best practice is to keep the injury area as still as possible. This could be done by splinting to immobilize a broken bone or by providing a sling.
One of the best ways to learn how to treat a fracture while waiting for medical attention is to take a first aid course. This can teach people how to handle fractures of different areas of the body. Since broken bones are not that uncommon in many contexts, such information could prove to be very helpful.
While first aid care is important, a fracture still requires more expert medical care. Doctors must identify the area of the fracture, the bones may need to be restored, and the treatment decision must be made. Treatment can be very different depending on the type of fracture present, the degree of damage and the area where the damage occurred. This tends to be individualized to the injury and, especially because the fracture is closed, the course of treatment is not always predictable until diagnostic radiographs have been taken.
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