Determine the location of the broken bone and assess the arm to make sure victim can still move fingers, feel touch, and has circulation to his or her hand.
Rod Brouhard
Assess the broken arm before splinting.
Assess the broken arm by feeling the area of the broken bone. Deformity, crepitus (a grinding feeling under the skin), or discoloration may be present in the area of the fracture. In most cases, the victim will just feel pain and tenderness near the injury.
Asses the victim's circulation, sensation, and motion in the hand.
- Ask the victim to identify which finger is being touched.
- Ask the victim to move fingers.
- Feel the victim's fingers to see if they are as warm as the hand on the unbroken arm.