When a person has a broken bone or fracture, medical treatment is needed to treat the fracture. Even though they have received treatment, the recovery period until they are recovered as before generally lasts a long time. Then, how to actually deal with broken bones or fractures? Here's how to treat and first aid for fractures.
How to deal with broken bones or fractures
In the human movement system, bones function as a body support tool that makes the body upright so that humans are able to carry out various kinds of activities. Of course your activities will be very disturbed if you have a fracture. Apart from being unable to move your limbs, you will also feel symptoms of broken bones which cause discomfort.
If you have a fracture, it would be best to quickly consult a doctor at a trusted hospital to help with the healing process. Treatment of broken bones from a doctor is generally needed to help the healing process, control pain, prevent complications, and restore movement function.
Everyone who has a broken bone will receive different treatment. This depends on the severity of the fracture, the location of the broken bone, the type of fracture or fracture, medical history, age, and drug allergies. In general, here are the various treatments given by doctors:
- Cast
Casts are usually made of plaster or fiberglass . The purpose of placing a cast is to keep the broken bone in the right position and reduce movement to speed up the healing process. - Splint or splint
Like a cast, splint or splint is a way of treating broken bones without surgery. A splint is used to prevent movement of the fractured bone area while it is healing. In addition, splints or splints are also often used for small fractures that do not require a cast. - Traction
Traction is a tool consisting of pulleys, strings, weights, and a metal frame that is mounted on the bed. Traction is useful so that the muscles and tendons around the broken bone become stretched, and makes the bones parallel. So that the healing process can take place quickly.
This method of treatment is rarely used to heal fractures. however, traction is often used to stabilize the broken bone before surgery. - Operation
Fractures that are severe or difficult to repair with a cast or splint will usually be treated by surgery or surgery. Bone fracture surgery is performed to return the broken bone to its original position. Generally, the doctor will attach a pen made of metal to the area of the broken bone. - Administration of drugs
Fracture patients also receive medication to control the symptoms they are feeling. The drugs given to each patient depend on the severity of the symptoms experienced. The types of drugs most often given are pain relievers (analgesics), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and antibiotics.
First aid for broken bones
Because the causes of fractures are different for each person, the most appropriate thing to do is to immediately contact a hospital or emergency number. While waiting for medical help to arrive, you can do some of the following simple first aid to reduce the risk of a fracture getting worse, such as:
- Do not move or move the patient
- Gently stop the bleeding with a sterile bandage or clean cloth if there is bleeding
- Compress with ice wrapped in a towel to relieve pain and reduce swelling
- Do not give the patient food or drink by mouth.
Many people prefer to use traditional medicine to treat fractures, such as massage or herbal medicine. However, that does not mean that traditional medicine is always safe. It would be nice to consult a doctor at a trusted hospital to prevent complications from fractures.
Article written by dr. Moch. Nagieb, Sp.OT (K), FICS (Orthopedic and Traumatology Specialist at EMC Alam Sutera Hospital).