Bruises and sprains

1. Causes and characteristics of bruises and sprains

Bruises: 

• Are the result of damage to the blood vessels in the subcutaneous tissue or muscles 
• Caused by a fall or a blow

Sprains:

• Occur in the joints, when the ends of a joint move in relation to each other, stretching the surrounding capsules and sometimes tearing them
• Caused when the joint is under excessive stress or makes an unnatural movement

2.Assessing the victim

Symptoms of bruises and sprains:

• Only feel pain
• The affected body part may swell up (sometimes)
• The affected body part may turn a blue colour (sometimes)

If it is a sprain the victim can only move the affected body part to a limited extent.

3. What the ERO should do

What to do in the event of bruises and sprains:

• Get the victim to sit down, and reassure him
• Ask the victim to remove any jewellery; help him, if necessary
• Ask the victim to carefully remove his shoe and sock. Help him if necessary. You may need to cut the laces to get the shoe off easily
• Fetch the first aid kit or have someone fetch it for you
• Cool the affected body part for 10 to a maximum of 20 minutes by holding it under cold running water or with a cold pack wrapped in the bag supplied or a triangular cloth
• If the victim has sprained his forearm, wrist or hand, he can hold his arm in a position that feels comfortable
• Get the victim to make an appointment with the doctor if he cannot walk more than four steps unaided, if the pain increases, or if it has not decreased after four days
• If the victim wishes, apply a support bandage (ankle: step 1 | step 2 | step 3 |step 4) (wrist: step 1 | step 2 | step 3 | step 4 | step 5 | step 6)