Treat Broken Bones on the Go

Broken bones are terrifying but if you have your KEEP>GOING First Aid Kitbag handy, you have everything you need to help set that broken finger. Here’s how to treat a fractured finger on the go.

Assess the injury.

Your child is in a lot of pain, but try to get a brief description of what happened in between bouts of tears. Take a look at the injured finger. If your child has limited range of motion and there’s bruising or swelling, it’s could be broken.

After a few minutes, the finger may get stiff and numb while your child begins to experience a dull pain. If your poor little one smashed their finger, like in a dreaded car door incident, the affected area may even begin to turn purple.

Protect the injury.

Once you’ve assessed the damage and calmed your little one, it’s time to get to work on treating the injury. Movement or jostling of the broken finger can cause another bout of pain for your child. Luckily, your KEEP>GOING compact First Aid Kit includes a finger splint, stainless steel scissors, and a first aid tape roll.

Do not try to straighten the finger. Situate the finger onto the finger splint – you can break it in half to adjust for size - and tape it firmly yet comfortably to inhibit any movement. If you have the KEEP>GOING First Aid SuperKit, you also have a sling at the ready. Consider slinging your child’s arm using the provided safety pins to ensure the finger doesn’t experience any sudden movements.  If the bone has broken through the skin, don’t touch it. Drape gauze over the injury, control the bleeding, and get emergency help.

Seek treatment.

Now that your little one’s finger is protected in a splint, you can focus on healing their broken heart. The colorful stickers in your personal First Aid Kit will also help to distract from the pain and bring a smile to their face. Head to a doctor to have the injury assessed. There are a few cases, you even want to call 911 immediately: If the bone has broken through the skin, the finger is bleeding heavily, the finger is numb, white, or blue, or has been amputated.

In most cases, broken fingers heal on their own within four to six weeks. But a quick checkup from the doctor will ensure your child doesn’t have a complicated break that could require further treatment.

A broken finger can be traumatic but your KEEP>GOING First Aid Kit is Designed to Help! Follow these steps to protect your little one’s injury and get them back to being little explorer.