{"id":6016,"date":"2024-06-10T07:00:40","date_gmt":"2024-06-10T06:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/immediate-first-aid-for-sprains-fractures-and-dislocations\/"},"modified":"2025-10-01T17:22:03","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T16:22:03","slug":"immediate-first-aid-for-sprains-fractures-and-dislocations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/en\/immediate-first-aid-for-sprains-fractures-and-dislocations\/","title":{"rendered":"Immediate first aid for sprains, fractures and dislocations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Every year, many people in French-speaking Switzerland suffer sprains, fractures or dislocations as a result of everyday activities or sport. Knowing how to deal with these injuries can not only limit the damage, but also speed up the healing process. This article guides you through the first aid essentials for dealing effectively with these common situations, in line with the latest medical recommendations.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Understanding musculoskeletal injuries<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>Sprains, fractures and dislocations are injuries that affect muscles, bones and joints. A <strong>sprain<\/strong> occurs when a ligament is stretched or torn, usually caused by twisting or direct impact. A <strong>fracture<\/strong> is a partial or total break in a bone. A <strong>luxation<\/strong> occurs when a bone is displaced from its joint. Each type of injury requires a specific approach in terms of first aid.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>First aid techniques for sprains<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>A sprain is damage to the ligaments of a joint caused by a sudden movement or excessive twisting. To limit damage and promote rapid recovery, the <strong>RICE<\/strong> method is the gold standard:<\/p>\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rest (Rest)<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Immobilise the affected joint and avoid any strain for <strong>24 to 48 hours<\/strong>. The use of crutches or splints may be necessary depending on the severity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Glace (Ice)<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Apply <strong>ice wrapped in a cloth<\/strong> for <strong>15 to 20 minutes<\/strong> every 2 hours to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Avoid direct contact of the ice with the skin to prevent burns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Compression<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Wrap the injured area with an <strong>elastic compression band<\/strong> without tightening too much, to limit swelling while maintaining good blood circulation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Elevation (Elevation)<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Elevate the injured limb <strong>above heart level<\/strong> to facilitate lymphatic drainage and reduce oedema. Use cushions to keep it in position.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<p>If you experience intense pain, visible deformity or if the swelling does not go down, consult a healthcare professional as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fracture management: immediate steps<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>In the event of a fracture, it is vital to immobilise the area before help arrives. Do not attempt to reset a bone. Cover any protruding ends with a sterile dressing if necessary. If the fracture is open, apply gentle pressure around the wound to control bleeding.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Managing a dislocation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>Dislocations require immediate medical attention to avoid permanent damage. Avoid manipulating or repositioning the joint. Immobilise the area and apply ice to reduce pain and swelling until medical help is available.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Emergency training and preparedness<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>Although this article offers an overview of immediate interventions, taking an in-depth training course, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/prestations\/ias-2\/\" title=\"IAS 2\">IAS 2 programme<\/a> (not included in <a href=\"\/formations-premiers-secours-certifiees\/ias-1\/\" title=\"IAS 1\">IAS 1<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/formations-premiers-secours-certifiees\/bls-aed-src-complet\/\" title=\"BLS AED SRC COMPLETE\">BLS AED SRC<\/a>), is essential for learning how to manage these situations correctly. The practical knowledge acquired can make all the difference in an emergency.<\/p>\n\n<p>To develop these skills further, discover our specialised training courses:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/formation-bls-aed-src-complet-a-geneve\/\">BLS AED in Geneva<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/bls-aed-src-a-lausanne-formation-premier-secours-vaud\/\">BLS AED SRC Complete in Lausanne<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/bls-aed-src-a-fribourg-et-bulle-formation-premiers-secours\/\">BLS AED course in Fribourg<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every year, many people in French-speaking Switzerland suffer sprains, fractures or dislocations as a result of everyday activities or sport. Knowing how to deal with these injuries can not only limit the damage, but also speed up the healing process. This article guides you through the first aid essentials for<span class=\"excerpt-hellip\"> [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":5684,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[311],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-6016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-first-aid-techniques"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6016","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6016"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6016\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6017,"href":"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6016\/revisions\/6017"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6016"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/safetyfirst.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=6016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}