When immobilizing a suspected fracture, you should:

When immobilizing a suspected fracture, you should:

• A. Move the limb to find a comfortable position.
• B. Apply a tourniquet to control bleeding.
• C. Use a splint, leaving fingers and toes exposed.
• D. Heat the area to promote blood flow.

Answer: (C)

Immobilizing a suspected fracture means keeping the limb still in the position found and stabilizing it with a splint to prevent any further injury to bones, nerves, or blood vessels. The best approach is to place a splint along the limb, pad it as needed, and secure it so the joints above and below the fracture don’t move. Leaving fingers and toes exposed lets you monitor circulation, sensation, and color after splinting. Moving the limb to a more comfortable position or applying heat can cause more harm—heat increases swelling and bleeding. A tourniquet isn’t used for fracture immobilization; it’s for life-threatening bleeding. So, using a splint and keeping the digits exposed is the correct method.

Immobilizing a suspected fracture means keeping the limb still in the position found and stabilizing it with a splint to prevent any further injury to bones, nerves, or blood vessels. The best approach is to place a splint along the limb, pad it as needed, and secure it so the joints above and below the fracture don’t move. Leaving fingers and toes exposed lets you monitor circulation, sensation, and color after splinting. Moving the limb to a more comfortable position or applying heat can cause more harm—heat increases swelling and bleeding. A tourniquet isn’t used for fracture immobilization; it’s for life-threatening bleeding. So, using a splint and keeping the digits exposed is the correct method.