An open fracture occurs when the bone does not withstand the acting force and deforms with the soft tissues. Depending on the nature of the deformity depends on the treatment, the duration of recovery, and, of course, the forecast: whether the damaged part of the body can recover and function normally, as before.
Symptoms of open fracture
Signs of an open fracture are visible immediately, in contrast to a closed lesion, when for the correctness of the diagnosis it is necessary to make an x-ray. The fact is that with an open fracture soft tissues are damaged and often it is accompanied by severe bleeding, which must be stopped immediately. Of course, an open fracture is accompanied by pain and limited movements of the damaged part.
An open fracture occurs when the broken bone itself damages the soft tissues from the inside or because of the impact of the mechanism from the outside (in case of an accident or a limb getting into a moving mechanism in the workplace).
The main signs of an open fracture of bones are:
- the previous impact of that part of the body where an open fracture is suspected;
- bleeding;
- pain;
- visibility of damaged bone;
- sharp pressure drop;
- shock state of the victim (traumatic shock in case of fracture of large bones).
Classification of open fractures
First of all, they are distinguished due to damage to soft tissues:
- primary - when tissues are damaged due to the influence of the external environment;
- secondary - when the tissues are damaged by bone fragments from the inside.
Then types of open fractures are distinguished according to the nature of bone destruction:
- transverse;
- oblique;
- longitudinal;
- helical.
According to the degree of "commotion", fractures are distinguished:
- coarse-lipped;
- multi-lobed.
According to the position of the bone:
- open fracture with displacement (can occur both because of the injury itself, and because of the contraction of muscles after it);
- Open fracture without bias.
First aid with open fracture
Emergency care for open fractures is mainly in the hospitalization of the patient on stretchers.
If it is delayed, then it is necessary to put the patient on the bed with a slightly raised headboard, if there is severe bleeding, it is necessary to apply a tourniquet above the fracture site and disinfect the wound. otherwise, infection may occur. The damaged place should be left alone until the arrival of a specialist. But it must be remembered that the hemostatic plait should be left for a long time (more than 1.5 hours), because this can lead to an anaerobic infection.
Treatment of open fracture
First of all, the wound is treated with an antiseptic, the blood is stopped with a pressure bandage, and then a transport bus is applied. Until then, the bones and remove their fragments in the open comminuted fracture can not be moved. The tire is placed so that it fixes the nearest joints to the place of injury.
Anesthesia, the site of the fracture by injecting the drug into the fracture site is undesirable, because it will flow out of the wound.
In case of traumatic shock, they make droppers with anti-shock liquids,
When the victim was hospitalized in the surgical department, the doctors assess his condition (pulse and pressure), do radiography and, under general or local anesthesia, remove excess elements: bone fragments, foreign bodies, nonviable tissues, and then wash the wound with antibiotics and antiseptics. If necessary, the wound is sutured, and afterwards, gypsum is applied to fix the bones.
After the patient's condition becomes satisfactory, the gypsum is removed and physiotherapy and physiotherapy procedures are prescribed.