First Aid: A Helpful Reference for Anyone

These pages hold instructions on how to do some common first aid proceedures as well as others that may include long-term care.

NOTE - This page is meant to be a reference during role-play. It is not meant to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any real medical condition. Any risk or liability is your own.

Bandages and Dressings | Burns and Scalds | Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation | Controlling Bleeding | Delivering a Baby | Miscellaneous Procedures | Shock | Sprains, Strains, and Fractures | Treating Wounds

Credits

Sprains, Strains, and Fractures

Sprains | Strains | Fractures

-- Human skeleton

Sprains

Sprains are injuries due to stretching or tearing ligaments or other tissues at a joint. They are caused by a sudden twist or stretch of a joint beyond its normal range of motion.
Sprains may be minor, causing discomfort for only a few hours. In severe cases, however, they may require many weeks of medical care.

Symptoms:

Pain on movement
Swelling
Tenderness
Discoloration

Sprains present basically the same signs as a closed fracture. If you cannot determine whether the injury is a fracture or a sprain, treat it as a fracture.

First aid for sprains:

Elevate the injured area and place it at complete rest.
Reduce swelling and relieve pain by applying a cool cloth wrung in cold water or an ice pack, if ice is readily available. Caution: Never use ice in direct contact with the skin; always wrap it in a towel or other material.
If swelling and pain persist, take the victim to a (more qualified) Healer.

The ankle is the part of the body most commonly affected by sprains. When the ankle has been sprained and the person must use the foot temporarily to reach a place for further treatment, the following care should be given:

Loosen (e.g. untie) the shoe or boot, but do not remove it.
Place the center of a narrow cravat bandage under the foot in front of the heel of the shoe or boot.
Carry the ends up and back of the ankle, crossing above the heel, then forward, crossing over the instep, and then downward toward the arch to make a hitch under the cravat on each side, just in front of the heel of the shoe or boot.
Tie at the back of the ankle.

Strains

A strain is an injury to a muscle or a tendon caused by overexertion. In severe cases muscles or tendons are torn and the muscle fibers are stretched. Strains are caused by sudden movements or overexertion.

Symptoms:

Intense pain
Moderate swelling
Painful and difficult movement
Sometimes, discoloration

First aid for strains:

Place the victim in a comfortable position.
Apply a hot, wet towel.
Keep the injured area at rest.
Seek medical attention.

Fractures

Splints | Areas of Fracture

A fracture is a broken or cracked bone. For first aid purposes fractures can be divided into two classifications:

Open, or compound fracture. The bone is broken and an open wound is present. Often the end of the broken bone protrudes from the wound.
Closed, or simple fracture. No open wound is present, but there is a broken or cracked bone.

Broken bones, especially the long bones of the upper and lower extremities, often have sharp, sawtooth edges; even slight movement may cause the sharp edges to cut into blood vessels, nerves, or muscles, and perhaps even through the skin. Careless or improper handling can convert a closed fracture into an open fracture, causing damage to surrounding blood vessels or nerves which can make the injury much more serious. A person handling a fracture should always keep that in mind.
If the broken ends of the bone extend through an open wound, there is little doubt that the victim has suffered a fracture. However, the bone does not always extend through the skin, so the person administering first aid must be able to recognize other signs that a fracture exists.
The general signs and symptoms of a fracture are as follows:

Pain or tenderness in the region of the fracture
Deformity or irregularity of the affected area
Loss of function (disability) of the affected area
Moderate or severe swelling
Discoloration
Information from the victim who may have felt the bone snap or break.

Be careful when examining injured persons, particularly those apparently suffering from fractures. For all fractures the first aider must remember to maintain an open airway, control bleeding, and treat for shock. Do not attempt to change the position of an injured person until he or she has been examined and it has been determined that movement will not complicate the injuries. If the victim is lying down, it is far better to attend to the injuries with the victim in that position and with as little movement as possible. If fractures are present, make any necessary movement in such a manner as to protect the injured part against further injury.

Splints

Use splints to support, immobilize, and protect parts with injuries such as known or suspected fractures, dislocations, or severe sprains. When in doubt, treat the injury as a fracture and splint it. Splints prevent movement at the area of the injury and at the nearest joints. Splints should immobilize and support the joint or bones above and below the break.
Improvised splints can be made from pieces of wood, broom handles, boards, or similar firm materials.
Certain guidelines should be followed when splinting:

Gently remove all clothing from around any suspected fracture or dislocation.
Do not attempt to push bones back through an open wound.
Do not attempt to straighten any fracture.
Cover open wounds with a sterile dressing before splinting.
Pad splints with soft material to prevent excessive pressure on the affected area and to aid in supporting the injured part.
Pad under all natural arches of the body such as the knee and wrist.
Support the injured part while the splint is being applied.
Splint firmly, but not so tightly as to interfere with circulation or cause undue pain.
Support fracture or dislocation before transporting victim.
Elevate the injured part and apply ice when possible.

Areas of Fracture

Nose
A broken nose is a very common type of fracture and may result from any hard blow. The symptoms of a broken nose are as follows:

Deformity of the bridge of the nose

Pain

Bleeding

Swelling

Treat any blow to the nose that causes bleeding as a fracture. The first aid care for a broken nose is as follows:

Apply a bandage compress if there is an open fracture.
Take the victim to a healer.

Upper Arm
Fracture of the upper portion of the arm is recognized by the following symptoms:

Swelling
Deformity
Inability to use the arm below the point of the fracture.

In order to immobilize a fracture of the upper third of the arm, proceed as follows:

Have an assistant suppor the fracture on both sides of the break.
Bind the arm to the rib cage with a wide cravat bandage that is tied over a pad under the opposite armpit.
Place the forearm in a cravat bandage sling.

Do not pull the forearm up too high because this will increase pain.

Lower Arm, Elbow, Forearm, or Wrist
Take extreme care when dealing with a fractured elbow, as the fracture may cause extensive damage to surrounding tissues, nerves, and blood vessels. Improper care and handling of a fractured elbow could result in a permanent disability.
The symptoms of a fractured elbow are as follows:

Extreme pain

Extensive discoloration around elbow

Swelling

Deformity

Bone may be visible or project from the wound.

The first aid for a fractured elbow in a straight position is as follows:

Do not bend, straighten, or twist the arm in any direction.
Use a splint long enough to reach from one inch below the armpit to one inch beyond the tip of the middle finger.
While the fracture is being supported, pad to conform to the deformity and place splint on the inner side of the arm.
Use four cravat bandages to hold the splint in place.
Place the center of the first cravat bandage on the outside of the arm at the upper end of the splint, cross on the inside of the arm over the splint, pass the ends one or more times around the arm and splint, and tie on the outside.
Place the centers of the second and third cravat bandages on the arm just above and below the elbow, and apply in a similar manner.
Center the fourth cravat bandage on the back of the wrist. Pass the ends around and cross on the splint under the wrist, bring one end up around the little finger side, and cross over the back of the hand and down between the forefinger and thumb. Pass the other end up over the thumb, cross it over the back of the hand down around the little finger side, then cross both ends on the splint and tie on top of the hand.
Tie a fifth cravat bandage around the splint, arm, and body to prevent movement during transportation.

If the arm is bent, immobilize in a bent position by making an L-shaped splint for the forearm and wrist from two pieces of board one half-inch thick and four inches wide. Once piece should be long enough to extend from one inch below the armpit to the point of the elbow and the other long enough to extend from the point of the elbow to one inch beyond the end of the middle finger. Immobilize the limb to the splint in the following manner:

Fasten the boards together securely to form an L-shaped splint.
Pad the splint.
While an assistant supports the fracture on both sides of the break apply the splint to the inner side of the arm and forearm after placing the forearm across the chest.
Use four cravat bandages to hold the splint in place.
Place the center of the first cravat bandage on the outside of the arm at the upper end of the splint, pass around the arm one or more times, and tie on the arm.
Place the centers of the second and third cravat bandages on the arm and forearm, respectively, passing around one or more times and tying on the arm.
Apply the fourth cravat bandage by placing the center of the bandage on the back of the wrist, passing the ends around and crossing on the splint under the wrist. Take one end up around the little finger side, passing over the back of the hand and down between the forefinger and thumb. Pass the other end up over the thumb, and cross it over the back of the hand down around the little finger side; then cross both ends on the splint and tie on top of the hand.

Fractures of the forearm and wrist are usually less painful than fractures of the arm, shoulder blade, or elbow. The symptoms of a fractured forearm and wrist are as follows:

Pain
Tenderness
Severe deformity, especially if both bones of the forearm are broken.

Finger
The symptoms of a fracture of the finger are as follows:

Pain
Swelling
Deformity

The first aid for a fractured finger is as follows:

Place a narrow padded splint under the broken finger and palm of the hand.
Pass a narrow strip of cloth around the splint and palm of the hand; tie over the splint.
Pass a second narrow strip of cloth around the finger and the splint above the fracture; tie over the splint.
Pass a third narrow strip of cloth around the finger and the splint below the fracture; tie over the splint.
Place the hand in a narrow cravat bandage sling.

Rib
Fracture of a rib usually is caused by a direct blow or a severe squeeze. A fracture can occur at any point along the rib. The symptoms of a fractured rib are as follows:

Severe pain on breathing
Tenderness over the fracture
Deformity
Inability to take a deep breath

Cravat bandages will immobilize fractured ribs. Place the bandages in the following order:

Apply padding over injured ribs.
Apply two medium cravat bandages around the chest firmly enough to afford support, centering the cravats on either side of the pain.
Upon exhalation, tie the knots over a pad on the opposite side of the body. If the cravat bandages cause more pain, loosen them.
Support the arm on the injured side in a sling.
Treat for shock as it is usually severe.
Secure healer treatment.

Wrap the chest gently when the ribs are depressed or frothy blood comes from the victim's mouth. These may be indications of a punctured lung. Place the victim in a semi-prone position (if no neck or spine injury exists) with the injured side down. This will allow more room for expansion of the uninjured lung.

Thigh or Knee
If a fracture of the thigh or knee is open, dress the wound. If the fracture is at the knee joint and the limb is not in a straight position, make no attempt to straighten the limb. Splint in line of deformity. Attempts to straighten the limb may increase the possibility of permanent damage. Improvise a way to immobilize the knee as it is found, using padding to fill any space. Use the utility splint stretcher or a similar support to immobilize fractures of the knee or thigh. Before placing the victim on the stretcher, it should be well padded and tested. Additional padding will also be necessary for the natural arches of the body. Raise the victim carefully for placement on the stretcher while the fracture is supported from the underside on both sides of the break.
Apply the splint with bandages. All bandages should be tied on the injured side near the splint. Detailed instructions follow:

Tie the first bandage around the body and splint under the armpits.

Tie the second around the chest and splint and the third around the hips and splint.

Tie the fourth and fifth bandages on the injured leg just below the crotch at the thigh and above the knee, respectively, (above and below the fracture) and tie on the injured side near the splint.

Tie the sixth and seventh bandages on the injured leg below the knee and at the ankle.

An additional bandage at the ankle on the uninjured side may be needed for additional support.

The victim should be transported on a regular stretcher or stretcher board.

When using a stretcher board, it should be well padded and the bandages applied in normal order. On some type of stretcher boards it may be necessary to tie both lower limbs together with each of the last four cravat bandages. To prevent movement of the legs, pad well between the legs before applying the cravats.
Any improvised splint for the thigh or knee should be long enough to immobilize the hip and ankle.

Leg or Ankle
If the fracture is open, dress the wound before splinting. When it is necessary to remove a shoe or boot because of pain from swelling of the ankle or for any other reason, the removal must be carefully done by unlacing or cutting the boot to prevent damage to the ankle. In the absence of severe swelling or bleeding it may be wise to leave the boot on for additional support.
The splint for a fracture of the leg or ankle should reach from against the buttocks to beyond the heel. Place a well-padded splint under the victim while the leg is supported on both sides of the fracture. Tie the bandages on the outer side, near the splint as follows:

Pass the end of the first bandage around the inner side of the thigh at the groin, pass it over the thigh and under the splint, and tie.
Pass two bandages around the thigh and splint, one at the middle of the thigh and the other just about the knee and tie.
Place additional padding around the knee and ankle.
Place a padded splint on the outer side of the leg.
Pass a fourth bandage around the leg, the padding, and the splint just below the knee and tie; pass a fifth bandage just above or below the fracture and tie. Do not tie over fracture.
Pass the center of a sixth bandage around the instep and bring the ends up each side of the ankle.
Cross the ends on top and pass them around the ankle and splint.
Cross the ends under the splint, return to the top of the ankle, cross and carry down each side of the ankle and tie under the instep.

Top

For more detail relating to the healing of humans, here is a neat site that might help you. The golden fire lizard will show you the way!

Sources for these pages were:

Radcliffe, J. The New International Webster's Pocket Medical & First Aid Dictionary of the English Language. USA: Trident Press International, 1997.

Yahoo! Yahoo! Health Encyclopedia. June 2004.

All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright ©
Anne McCaffrey 1967, 2001, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author.

Special thanks to Nerissa and Avonelle, who helped in the compilation of this resource.