Safety At Home

First Aid

Strains & Sprains

[st_box title=”INFO” type=”info”]It can be difficult to tell whether the injury is a fracture, dislocation, sprain or strain. If in doubt, always treat as a fracture. [/st_box]

Signs & symptoms

Sprain

  • intense pain
  • restricted mobility
  • rapid development of swelling and bruising.

Strain

  • sharp, sudden pain in region of the injury
  • loss of power
  • muscle tenderness.

What to do

1. Follow DRSABCD.

2. Follow the RICE management plan:

  • REST the patient and the injured part.
  • Apply ICEPACK (cold compress) wrapped in a wet cloth to the injury for 15 minutes every 2 hours for 24 hours, then for 15 minutes every 4 hours for 24 hours.
  • Apply COMPRESSION elastic bandage firmly to extend well beyond the injury.
  • ELEVATE the injured part.

3. Seek medical attention if no improvement.

Source

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