Serious bone breaks
If you’ve broken a bone and it’s sticking out of your skin, don’t try to push it back in. Seek medical attention. If a bone is sticking out of your skin, get immediate medical attention! First responders typically use compression wraps for suspected broken bones until they can get you to an emergency room.
Cracked, splintered, or bruised bones may require surgery. The ER is also a good place for patients who’ve suffered extreme trauma from an accident, car crash, or assault and have serious injuries such as internal bleeding. There are also several conditions that require immediate medical attention—if you experience any of these symptoms, consider going to an emergency room: Sudden changes in vision; Severe stomach pain with fever and vomiting; A severe head injury; Chest pain with shortness of breath and sweating.
If you’ve broken a bone, it’s not always possible to tell how severe your injury is. Sometimes, a break doesn’t look as bad as it really is, or vice versa—so it can be helpful to see an emergency room doctor. These kinds of breaks should be handled by medical professionals and aren’t anything you can tape up at home. If you see a bone protruding from your skin and/or hear bone fragments rattling around inside your wound, seek medical attention immediately.
If you’ve broken a bone, visit an emergency room. The ER is best for serious fractures and those that may require surgery. A doctor can set your fracture and make sure it heals correctly or might refer you to a specialist who can do so. If left untreated, non-union of bones could lead to an amputation later in life.
