What to know, what to do, if you suspect a bone may be broken...

Splinting keeps an injured body part from moving, helping to reduce pain, improving comfort, and protecting against further damage in the body. If you must move the victim, you will choose to splint depending on what types of materials and resources you have available, the type of injury, and comfort of the victim. Remember to check for feeling, warmth and color before and after applying any splint, to make sure the splint has not been secured too snugly.

Four Good Types of Splint:

Ø      Anatomic Splint – The injury is secured, by as soft a material as available, to another body part. An uninjured leg can support an injured leg, using ties above and below the injury, securing the joints above and below the inury. An injured finger can be splinted to an uninjured finger using tapes.

Ø      Soft Splint – The injury is supported by, and secured to, soft materials such as folded blankets, a heavy jacket, towels, or pillows.

Ø      Sling – An injured arm, wrist, or hand, is supported by a triangular bandage, tied at the shoulders, over the back of the neck. A binder, another triangular bandage tied as a band across the sling horizontally over the body, secured under the uninjured armpit, often secures the shoulder joint to further minimize movement.

Ø      Rigid Splint – The injury is secured by as soft a material as available, to material such as a board, folded magazines or newspaper, metal strip, or other hard surface.

Back to Table of Contents          |         Back to Previous Lesson         |        Forward to Next Lesson