Where There Is No Doctor 2011 99
BROKEN THIGH OR HIP BONE
A broken upper leg or hip often needs special attention. It is best to splint the
whole body like this:
and to take the injured person to a health center at once.
BROKEN NECKS AND BACKS
If there is any chance a person’s back or neck has been broken, be very careful
when moving him. Try not to change his position. If possible, bring a health worker
before moving him. If you must move him, do so without bending his back or neck.
For instructions on how to move the injured person, see the next page.
BROKEN RIBS
These are very painful, but almost always heal on their own. It is better not to
splint or bind the chest. The best treatment is to take aspirin or acetaminophen
(avoid giving aspirin to children)—and rest. To keep the lungs healthy, take 4 to 5
deep breaths in a row, every 2 hours. Do this daily until you can breathe normally. At
first, this will be very painful. It may take months before the pain is gone completely.
A broken rib does not often puncture a lung. But if a rib breaks through the skin,
or if the person coughs blood or develops breathing difficulties (other than pain),
use antibiotics and seek medical help.
BROKEN BONES THAT BREAK THROUGH THE SKIN (OPEN FRACTURES)
Since the danger of infection is very great in these cases, it is always better to get
help from a health worker or doctor in
caring for the injury. Wear gloves or
plastic bags on your hands and clean
the wound and the exposed bone very
gently but thoroughly with cool, boiled
water. Cover with a clean cloth. Never put the
bone back into the wound until the wound and the bone are absolutely clean.
Splint the limb to prevent more injury.
If the bone has broken the skin, use an antibiotic immediately to help prevent
infection: dicloxacillin (p. 350), clindamycin (p. 358), or ciprofloxacin (p. 358).
CAUTION: Never rub or massage a broken limb
or a limb that may possibly be broken.