Immobilization of a feet and shin with a foldable splint

Authors: Simulation and Certification Center

Editor: Rednenko V.V.

Clinical situation:      

• A casualty has a shin injury. He is conscious and asks you for help and takes him to the hospital's trauma center. Site of accident is save.
• Immobilize his/he leg with a foldable splint.

Equipment for the practical skill:

• simulator (simulated patient);
• foldable splint for a leg;
• pads (bandage rolls)

Order of the skill performance:

• Make sure the scene is safe.
• Introduce yourself.
• Identify the person.
• Obtain informed consent to the procedure:
  • give all the information to the person about what the procedure involves, including the benefits and risks, whether there are reasonable alternative, and what will happen without this procedure;
  • explain what you are going to do;
  • ask the patient to consent to procedure.
• Identify a type of the injury:
  • examine the person from head to toe;
  • verify the injury;
  • choose a way to immobilization.
• Call for help: ask a bystander to assist you in providing first aid.
• Place the casualty on his back.
• Take a foldable leg splint from a set.

• Prepare the splint for work: 
  • model it in the form of the letter “L”;
  • nfasten all Velcro belts.

• Take a comfortable position for this manipulation, if it's possible, use the help of an assistant.
• The first participant supports and lifts the injured leg. 
• The second participant places the splint under the elevated limb so the long part of the splint is located along the shin and thigh, and the short part is along the foot. Shoes are not removed.

• The first participant carefully, but as tightly as possible, presses the flaps of the splint to the limb, while the second one fixes the velcro fasteners.

• Check the quality of immobilization.
• Ask the patient about the comfort of the leg position, the presence of discomfort in the immobilized area (pressure on the protruding parts of joints and bones). If necessary, put soft pads under these protruding parts.