The difficulty of having a broken ankle or ankle fracture is definitely not worth the pain and suffering. Our ankles, however strong they are, are also very fragile in a case of injury. A slight injury may cause, regrettably, to total dismemberment and of course no one will like that or is deserving of it. Remember, first aid is not the solution. It is just the first step. The next are up to the doctors and other orthopedic professionals.
We could lessen the possibility of this misfortune by applying First Aid – quickly and carefully. Applying first aid on a broken ankle is not hard yet it should be done with intense care. Follow the following steps carefully before rushing the patient to a hospital for advanced treatment of the injury.
1. Be familiar with the symptoms – Symptoms of a broken ankle may include (although it is not limited to): discoloring of the skin on the foot and lower leg, abnormal tenderness of the muscles surrounding the ankle, swelling, numbness and deformation. When these symptoms are present, never try to put the ankle back to the right position. Also, as much as possible, avoid moving the injury much.
2. Get ice and an ice pack – We need much ice depending on the time the patient will reach the hospital. The effects of icing will only be available on the first 24 hours of the injury. If done correctly swelling may reduce and the muscles will be strengthened to avoid tearing and additional damage.
3. Careful placing and massaging of the ice – never use the ice directly on the injury. A face towel must be wrapped around the ice or ice pack. Avoid soaking or wetting the broken ankle too much because this may lead to further tenderness of the skin which will likely increase the risk of further injury such as splinters protruding the skin. Also when moving the ice pack around the injured area, never place it on a single point for more than a minute. Move it around regularly to prevent frostbite.
Elevate the broken ankle – Blood pressure on the injury is one of the major causes of swelling. We can lessen the pressure by moving the foot a placing it on a firm yet soft pillow on a plane or position higher than the rest of the body. The best position is to have the patient lie down or with the back slightly reclined if nausea is an issue.
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