Urgent medical care professionals are there to help when a patient comes in with any type of injury, including dislocated or broken bones. Depending on the type of fracture or break received, however, there may be only so much they can do. Different types of fractures need different levels of care. In some cases, it is hard for the patient to determine whether or not a bone is even broken. That is what the doctor and his highly trained medical staff are there for.
A dislocated joint can be extremely painful but is not considered to be “broken”. Swelling and inflammation can make it difficult for someone with little experience to be able to tell the difference. Professionals trained in providing after hours care are available to help when regular doctors’ offices close. They can examine an injury and take x-rays to determine the extent of the injury.
Stress fractures occur when a bone is stressed passed its limits and cracks form in the surface of the bone. They can be extremely painful, but require little care other than careful stabilization. They also heal much faster than other types of bone breaks because do not extend deep into the structure of the bone itself.
Greenstick fractures are breaks where the surface of the bone is noticeably compromised. Urgent medical care professionals are capable of setting and stabilizing this type of break without sending their patients to an emergency room or other healthcare facility.
Simple fractures are those where a bone is broken apart in one place. In most cases, these types of breaks can be set rather quickly without the need for an emergency room visit. Physicians can tell from an x-ray if the bones need to be reset or if they are where they need to be. Because bones begin to heal, immediately after they are broken, urgent medical care is needed at the time of the injury.
Compound fractures are one of the more severe forms of bone fractures. Individuals who experience this type of traumatic injury should go immediately to an emergency or trauma facility. Compound fractures not only involve a broken bone, but the protrusion of one or more ends of bone through the skin. Most compound fractures require surgical procedures to pin or secure the bone in place, as well as close any open wounds.
Compound fractures are extensive of bone breaks causing damage to the bone and the tissues that surround it. Bone graphs, pins, muscle reconstruction and cosmetic skin procedures are sometimes needed for the healing process to be complete. Urgent medical care facilities do not have the staff or the equipment to perform these procedures effectively. They may be able to stabilize the wound, but other forms of treatment should be sought immediately to prevent irreparable damage.
