Treatments for Fractures
Treatments for Fractures
The list of treatments mentioned in various sources
for Fractures
includes the following list.
Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment
or change in treatment plans.
Fractures: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers
Products, offers and promotion categories available for Fractures:
Fractures: Research Doctors & Specialists
- Bone, Joint and Orthopedic Specialists:
- Nerve Specialists:
- Pain Specialists:
- Arthritis & Joint Health Specialists (Rheumatology):
- more specialists...»
Research all specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.
Latest treatments for Fractures:
The following are some of the latest treatments for Fractures:
Hospital statistics for Fractures:
These medical statistics relate to hospitals, hospitalization and Fractures:
- 0.073% (9,328) of hospital consultant episodes were for fracture of rib, sternum and thoracic spine in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
- 82% of hospital consultant episodes for fracture of rib, sternum and thoracic spine required hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
- 58% of hospital consultant episodes for fracture of rib, sternum and thoracic spine were for men in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
- 42% of hospital consultant episodes for fracture of rib, sternum and thoracic spine were for women in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
- more hospital information...»
Medical news summaries about treatments for Fractures:
The following medical news items
are relevant to treatment of Fractures:
Buy Products Related to Treatments for Fractures
Book Excerpts: Treatment of Fractures
Treatments of Fractures: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE!
Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration,
for more information about the treatments of Fractures.
Skull fractures:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Although occasionally even a simple linear skull fracture can tear an underlying blood vessel or cause a CSF leak, linear fractures generally require only supportive treatment, including mild analgesics such as acetaminophen, and cleaning, debridement, and repair of any wounds after injection of a local anesthetic.
If the patient with a skull fracture hasn’t lost consciousness, observe him in the emergency department for at least 4 hours. Following this observation period, if his vital signs are stable and if the neurosurgeon concurs, you can discharge him. Before discharge, give the patient an instruction sheet to follow for 24 to 48 hours of observation at home.
More severe vault fractures, especially depressed fractures, usually require a craniotomy to elevate or remove fragments that have been driven into the brain and to extract foreign bodies and necrotic tissue. This reduces the risk of infection and further brain damage. Other treatments for severe vault fractures include antibiotic therapy and, in profound hemorrhage, blood transfusions.
Basilar fractures call for immediate prophylactic antibiotics to prevent the onset of meningitis from CSF leaks as well as close observation for secondary hematomas and hemorrhages. Surgery may be necessary. In addition, both basilar and vault fractures commonly require I.V. or I.M. dexamethasone to reduce cerebral edema and minimize brain tissue damage.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Arm and leg fractures:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Emergency treatment consists of splinting the limb above and below the suspected fracture, applying a cold pack, and elevating the limb to reduce edema and pain.
In severe fractures that cause blood loss, apply direct pressure to control bleeding, and administer fluid replacement as soon as possible to prevent or treat hypovolemic shock.
After confirming a fracture diagnosis, begin treatment with reduction (which involves restoring displaced bone segments to their normal position).
After reduction, the fractured arm or leg must be immobilized by a splint or a cast or with traction. In closed reduction (accomplished by manual manipulation), a local anesthetic such as lidocaine and an analgesic such as I.V. morphine help relieve pain; a muscle relaxant such as I.V. diazepam or a sedative such as midazolam facilitates the muscle stretching necessary to realign the bone.
X-rays are ordered to confirm that the reduction was successful and that proper bone alignment was achieved.
When closed reduction is impossible, open reduction during surgery reduces and immobilizes the fracture by means of rods, plates, or screws. Afterward, a cast is usually applied.
When a splint or cast fails to maintain the reduction, immobilization requires skin or skeletal traction, using a series of weights and pulleys. In skin traction, elastic bandages and sheepskin coverings are used to attach traction devices to the patient’s skin. In skeletal traction, a pin or wire inserted through the bone distal to the fracture and attached to a weight allows more prolonged traction.
Treatment of open fractures also requires tetanus prophylaxis, prophylactic antibiotics, surgery to repair soft-tissue damage, and thorough debridement of the wound.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Dislocated or fractured jaw:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
As in all traumatic injuries, check first for a patent airway, adequate ventilation, and pulses; then control hemorrhage and check for other injuries. As necessary, maintain a patent airway with an oropharyngeal airway, nasotracheal intubation, or a cricothyrotomy. Relieve pain with analgesics as needed.
After the patient stabilizes, surgical reduction and fixation by wiring restores mandibular and maxillary alignment. Maxillary fractures may also require reconstruction and repair of soft-tissue injuries. Teeth and bones are never removed during surgery unless unavoidable. If the patient has lost teeth from trauma, the surgeon will decide whether they can be reimplanted. If they can, he’ll reimplant them within 6 hours, while they’re still viable. Viability is increased if the tooth is placed in milk, saliva, or normal saline solution. Dislocations are usually reduced manually under anesthesia.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Skull Fracture:
Treatment (Tx)
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Mild analgesics, I.V. fluids, endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation, craniotomy, antibiotics, blood transfusion, dexamethasone
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Fractured nose:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Treatment restores normal facial appearance and re-establishes bilateral nasal passage after swelling subsides. Reduction of the fracture corrects alignment; immobilization (intranasal packing and an external splint shaped to the nose and taped) maintains it. Reduction is best accomplished in the operating room under local anesthesia for adults and general anesthesia for children. Severe swelling may delay treatment. CSF leakage calls for close observation, a CT scan of the basilar skull, and antibiotic therapy; septal hematoma requires incision and drainage to prevent necrosis.
Start treatment immediately. While waiting for X-rays, apply ice packs to the nose to minimize swelling. Wrap the ice packs in a light towel to prevent ice from directly contacting the skin. To control anterior bleeding, gently apply local pressure. Posterior bleeding is rare and requires an internal tamponade applied in the emergency department.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Skull fractures:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
Effective treatment depends on the type and severity of the fracture.
Linear fractures
Although occasionally even a simple linear skull fracture can tear an underlying blood vessel or cause a CSF leak, linear fractures generally require only supportive treatment, including mild analgesics (such as acetaminophen), and cleaning and debridement of any wounds after injection of a local anesthetic.
If the patient with a skull fracture hasn’t lost consciousness, he should be observed in the emergency room for at least 4 hours. After this observation period, if vital signs are stable and if the neurosurgeon concurs, the patient can be discharged. At this time, the patient should be given an instruction sheet to follow for 24 to 48 hours of observation at home.
Vault and basilar fractures
More severe vault fractures, especially depressed fractures, usually require a craniotomy to elevate or remove fragments that have been driven into the brain and to extract foreign bodies and necrotic tissue, thereby reducing the risk of infection and further brain damage. Other treatments for severe vault fractures include antibiotic therapy and, in profound hemorrhage, blood transfusions.
Basilar fractures call for immediate prophylactic antibiotics to prevent the onset of meningitis from CSF leaks as well as close observation for secondary hematomas and hemorrhages. Surgery may be necessary.
In addition, basilar and vault fractures often require dexamethasone I.V. or I.M. to reduce cerebral edema and minimize brain tissue damage.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Arm and leg fractures:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
The following treatments are performed in patients with an arm or leg fracture.
CLINICAL TIP: In an emergency, the limb is splinted above and below the suspected fracture, a cold pack is applied, and the limb is elevated to reduce edema and pain.
With severe fractures that cause blood loss, direct pressure should be applied to control bleeding and fluids should be administered as soon as possible to prevent or treat hypovolemic shock.
Reduction
After a fracture has been confirmed, treatment begins with reduction (which involves restoring displaced bone segments to their normal position).
After reduction, the fractured arm or leg must be immobilized by a splint or a cast or with traction. With closed reduction (which is accomplished by manual manipulation), a local anesthetic (such as lidocaine) and an analgesic (such as morphine I.M.) help relieve pain, whereas a muscle relaxant or a sedative facilitates the muscle stretching necessary to realign the bone.
An X-ray study is ordered to confirm that reduction has been successful and that proper bone alignment has been achieved.
When closed reduction is impossible, open reduction during surgery reduces and immobilizes the fracture by means of rods, plates, or screws. Afterward, a plaster cast is usually applied.
When a splint or cast fails to maintain the reduction, immobilization requires skin or skeletal traction, using a series of weights and pulleys.
With skin traction, elastic bandages and sheepskin coverings are used to attach traction devices to the patient’s skin. With skeletal traction, a pin or wire inserted through the bone distal to the fracture and attached to a weight allows more prolonged traction.
Other measures
Treatment of open fractures also requires tetanus prophylaxis, a prophylactic antibiotic, surgery to repair soft-tissue damage, and thorough debridement of the wound.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Jaw dislocation or fracture:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
As in all traumatic injuries, check first for a patent airway, adequate ventilation, and pulses; then control hemorrhage and check for other injuries. As necessary, maintain a patent airway with an oropharyngeal airway, nasotracheal intubation, or a tracheotomy. Administer an analgesic for pain as needed.
After the patient’s condition stabilizes, surgical reduction and fixation by wiring restores mandibular and maxillary alignment. Maxillary fractures may also require reconstruction and repair of soft-tissue injuries.
Teeth and bones are never removed during surgery unless unavoidable. If the patient has lost teeth from trauma, the surgeon will decide whether they can be reimplanted. If they can, he’ll reimplant them within 6 hours, while they’re still viable. Viability is increased if the tooth is placed in milk. Dislocations are usually reduced manually under anesthesia.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Nose, fractured:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
Treatment restores normal facial appearance and reestablishes bilateral nasal passage after swelling subsides. Reduction of the fracture corrects alignment; immobilization (intranasal packing and an external splint shaped to the nose and taped) maintains it. Reduction is best accomplished in the operating room under local anesthesia for adults and general anesthesia for children.
CLINICAL TIP: Early or late repair is possible, but most physicians prefer to delay reduction for 5 to 10 days after the injury, especially if severe swelling is present.
CSF leakage calls for close observation, a CT scan of the basilar skull, and antibiotic therapy; septal hematoma requires incision and drainage to prevent necrosis.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
The greatest fear among women living with osteoporosis is bone fracture. Hip or spinal fractures can be devastating to the lives of otherwise healthy...
When breast cancer spreads it often ends up in bone. This can cause severe pain, weaken the bones and result in fractures. Learn how these bone...
No one doubts that the skeleton is an essential part of the human body. But how many people understand how bone works, or how osteoporosis puts your...
The connection between osteoporosis and low levels of calcium in the body is fairly well known by doctors and patients alike. But there are a number...
See full list of 23 related videos
» Next page: Doctors and Medical Specialists for Fractures
Rate This Website
What do you think about the features of this website?
Take our user survey and have your say:
Website User Survey
Medical Tools & Articles:
Next articles:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Forums & Message Boards
- Ask or answer a question at the Boards:
