Before deciding whether to transport, stabilize the patient as much as possible.

This
means assuring open airways, stopping all bleeding, splinting orthopedic injuries and more. If
there is any possibility that a fracture has been sustained, treat the injury as a fracture. Get
medical aid at the first possible opportunity. All fractures require medical treatment. Don’t move
the victim until splints have been applied to the injured parts, unless the victim’s life is in danger.
Treat for shock. Don’t attempt to locate a fracture by grating the ends of the bone together. Don’t
attempt to set a broken bone. When a long bone in the arm or leg is fractured, the limb should be
carefully straightened so that splints can be applied. Pulling gently with your hands in the long
axis of the limb is permissible, and it may be all that is necessary to get the limb back into
position. Apply splints. Emergency splinting may be placed over clothing if the victim will be
seen very soon by a medical officer or if the victim will be transported for a short distance.
Otherwise, it’s best to remove just enough clothing so you can apply well-padded splints directly
to the injured part. If you decide to remove clothing over the injured part, cut the clothing or rip
it along the seams. In any case, be careful! Rough handling of the victim may turn a closed
fracture into an open fracture. That could increase the severity of shock and cause extensive
damage to the blood vessels, nerves, muscles, and other tissues around the broken bone. If the
fracture is open, you must treat the wound before you can deal with the fracture. Bleeding from
the wound may be serious. Most bleeding can be stopped by direct pressure on the wound or by
finger pressure at the appropriate point. If, after your best efforts, these methods are not
successful, use a constricting band; then treat the fracture. If you are unable to do this, consider
having a group member get the supplies needed to make transport safer. Have as many helpers
available as possible to assist you before you move the patient. If you know the amount of
assistance you’ll have, you can choose a method of evacuation that will cause the least trauma to
both patient and medic.