Diagnosis of a compound fracture is fairly simple. There is an open area that goes down to bone and the bone is broken. And because it’s open there is the opportunity for dirt and bacteria to enter the wound.
Compound fractures are most likely to happen during events that include body contact and high impact stress to the bone. During a sports event there are several first aid treatment factors that can be applied to decrease the risk of infection and help physicians treat the fracture.
The area should be splinted carefully to keep the bone from further movement. This will help to decrease pain for the sufferer and decrease the risk that movement of the bone could sever an artery causing even more damage. The splinting should be done without touching the area that is open to air. If you are in an area where the paramedics are imminent then leaving the extremity until they arrive is probably best. Leave the person in the position in which he fell, or gently help him straighten the rest of his body to a more comfortable position until help arrives.
Try to stop them from viewing the break since it can cause even more stress to the patient and even initiate a shock reaction. Keep their head down and eyes from the wound.
The area is at a very high risk for infection of not only soft tissue but also the bones. Bone infections are a difficult problem to solve. Treatment of infections can require multiple surgeries, long term hospitalization, prolonged antibiotic treatment and other complications to the ultimate healed results.
Every effort is made to prevent the potential complication of bone infections with early treatment starting in the emergency room. Even with the early treatment at the scene of the accident and in the emergency room patients who experience a compound fracture are more susceptible to bone infections and the subsequent complications that follow.
Treatment of open fractures or compound fractures includes prophylactic antibiotic treatment and surgical reduction of the fracture. This means that in order to realign the broken bones the patient is taken into surgery where pain from motion at the site of the injury and cleaning of the open wound is managed.
