Instruction manual

PROFICIENCY IN SURVIVAL CRAFT AND RESCUE BOATS OTHER THAN
FAST RESCUE BOATS
15 11
If the fracture is open, stop the bleeding and treat the wound. Apply a
sterile dressing over the wound. Carefully straighten the forearm. (Remember
that rough handling of a closed fracture may turn it into an open fracture.)
Apply a pneumatic splint if available; if not, apply two well-padded splints to
the forearm, one on the top and one on the bottom. Be sure that the splints
are long enough to extend from the elbow to the wrist. Use bandages to hold
the splints in place. Put the forearm across the chest. The palm of the hand
should be turned in, with the thumb pointing upward. Support the forearm in
this position by means of a wide sling and a cravat bandage, as shown in
figure 15-15. The hand should be raised about 4 inches above the level of the
elbow. Treat the victim for shock and evacuate as soon as possible.
Fig. 15 -15 First aid for a fractured forearm
Upper Arm Fracture
The signs of fracture of the upper arm include pain, tenderness, swelling,
and a wobbly motion at the point of fracture. If the fracture is near the elbow,
the arm is likely to be straight with no bend at the elbow. If the fracture is
open, stop the bleeding and treat the wound before attempting to treat the
fracture.
NOTE: Treatment of the fracture depends partly upon the location of the
break. If the fracture is in the upper part of the arm near the shoulder, place a
pad or folded towel in the armpit, bandage the arm securely to the body, and
support the forearm in a narrow sling. If the fracture is in the middle of the
upper arm, you can use one well-padded splint on the outside of the arm.
The splint should extend from the shoulder to the elbow. Fasten the
splinted arm firmly to the body and support the forearm in a narrow sling,
as shown in figure. Another way of treating a fracture in the middle of the
upper arm is to fasten two wide splints (or four narrow ones) about the
arm and then support the forearm in a narrow sling. If you use a splint
between the arm and the body, be very careful that it does not extend too far