How To Tell If A Child’s Ankle Is Broken
There are rules that have been advocated for doctors to use to determine the need for x-rays (radiographs) in the setting of a possible ankle fracture (broken ankle). The purpose for using rules is to avoid unnecessary exposure to radiation. In the wilderness, there is not likely to be an x-ray machine available. Therefore, the rules might be useful to give the rescuer (or a parent) more confidence about what clinical presentation is likely to be or not be a broken bone. This would be important in terms of deciding whether or not to allow weight-bearing, such as would occur if a victim needed to walk out under his or her own power. Read more »
This post, How To Tell If A Child’s Ankle Is Broken, was originally published on Healthine.com by Paul Auerbach, M.D..