It is easy to fall at any age in snow, but most of them are elderly, and the parts of the fall are also regular, the first is the wrist, the second is the ankle, the third is the elbow and shoulder, in addition, the lumbar vertebrae fracture is also an injury that the elderly are easy to cause after sitting on the ground. Members of the public are advised to minimise travel after the snow, especially when the snow has been cleared and thin ice remains on the ground. But if you have to go out, what are the precautions to prevent injury?In case I fall and feel "wrong", what is the emergency treatment?
question1：
Traveling after snow, precautions for fall prevention
1. Look
Always be vigilant and observe the road conditions.
On snowy days, there are many places outdoors that are slippery and slippery, so you should always be vigilant in such an environment. In particular, many roads are not covered with snow, but there is a thin layer of ice. This condition is the most overlooked and the most likely to cause slips.
2. Wear
Keep warm but don't interfere with your movement to avoid safety hazards.
When traveling in snowy weather, wear gloves and warm clothes;The trousers should not be too long to avoid falling when stepping on the hem;Socks fit well, do not wear slippery feet**;The laces should be fastened tightly and the laces should not be too long to avoid falling when stepping on the lacesPick the right non-slip shoes.
Special reminder:
Some shoes called "snow boots" are not suitable for wearing in the snow, the main reason is that they are neither waterproof nor slippery, and they are not only easy to get wet when it is snowing or melting, but may also be more slippery. Hiking boots have deep grooves, but the soles are usually stiff, and if the seams are filled with snow, they will be more slippery and not suitable for wearing on snowy days. 3. Stability
Slow down and find your balance.
Slow down your walking
When traveling on snowy days, it's a good idea to allow more time. Every step must be stepped on, one step at a time, and the "down-to-earth" walk will not slip, especially when encountering uneven roads, and the pace must be slowed down.
Non-slip gait: learn to walk as a penguin
When the stride length is large, the legs are also raised, and the center of gravity of the body changes greatly, making it easier to fall. When walking on narrow roads, the distance between your feet should not be too small, and you should keep a distance of about 20 cm. When walking on snow, shift your weight forward, try to keep the soles of your feet touching the ground as much as possible, and keep your calves perpendicular to the ground.
Avoid walking in the dark
On snowy days, the lack of light increases the likelihood of slipping. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the travel environment is as well lit as possible, try to avoid traveling in the dark, and carry a flashlight if necessary.
Older people avoid going out
Older people should try to avoid traveling after the snow and try to be accompanied by family members if they need to go out. For example, when you go out to use crutches and other walking aids, do not rely too much on them, and lean your whole body weight on them, otherwise you will be more likely to be injured if you slip.
Keep your hands free
Don't play with your phone!Don't put your hands in your pockets!Don't lift heavy objects!Avoid distractions and narrowing of the field of vision, which can lead to loss of balance and difficulty in reacting quickly.
question2：
What are the most slippery places after snow?
Zebra crossing
Some zebra crossings are lacquered to alert passers-by at night, but they can be slippery after snowSome zebra crossings are not slippery, but as the reflective surface is worn out, it is easy to slip when walking. In addition, after the snow accumulates on the zebra crossing, the snow becomes more slippery due to the frequent passage of people and cars. Nowadays, many cities have started to use non-slip zebra crossings, which are safer.
Vehicles in and out of frequently frequented areas
For example, parking lots and gas station entrances and exits are very slippery due to the frequent traffic of cars, and the snow will be very compact, and the tires will rub against it. In addition, there are often slopes in these places. In the same way, bus stops are also easy places to fall, especially when getting on and off the bus, the center of gravity is easy to be unstable, so be careful.
Subway or underpass exits
These places have a large amount of **, pedestrians are intertwined and the speed is fast, and the road surface is prone to waterlogging, mud, and ice, especially with steps or slopes, which is very dangerous.
tile floors
After stepping on the snow to enter the subway, shopping mall, office building, etc., the snow embedded in the sole of the shoe will be very slippery when it touches the tiles;It is best to stomp your feet at the door and remove some of the snow from the soles of your shoes before walking.
question3：
How to deal properly after a fall?
Slippery roads in snowy days are prone to falls and fractures, so once you fall, you should pay special attention to the following three points.
First of all, we must keep calm, especially the elderly, once emotional, it is easy to cause various problems, especially cardiovascular and cerebrovascular problems.
The second is not to get up in a hurry. If a fracture has already occurred, forcing yourself to stand up can cause more damage. Call 120 immediately and wait for medical attention.
If there is no abnormal feeling at the time after falling, but then you feel unwell, you should go to the hospital for examination in time, so that the problem can be detected early, treated early, and treated early.
In case of falling
Keep these key steps in mind
After a fracture, "immobilization of the wound" is done
The elderly have poor body coordination and osteoporosis problems, and once they fall, they will subconsciously reach out to the ground, resulting in a broken wrist. In addition, there are knee fractures, hip bones, and lumbar vertebrae, which are all prone to fractures. "Injury immobilization" is performed immediately after a fall and fracture, that is, movement is restricted to prevent the injury from dislocating. If you find that a part of your body is very painful, do not force it to support it to avoid secondary injury.
Although the hand is a common cause of post-snow fractures, in the event of an unbalanced fall, "hand on the ground" is the "best" option.
Zhao Xia, head of the Department of Geriatrics in Beijing and nurse in charge, said that compared with landing on the buttocks or one side of the body, the injury and difficulty caused to the elderly by supporting the ground with their hands are much smaller. If you use your hands to support the ground during a fall, the wrist joint is often damaged, and at most the distal ulna or radius is fractured. This kind of arm fracture does not need to be in bed in nursing, and the training is easy to do, and there will be no fatal complications.
The elderly sit on the ground when they fall, and the support point falls on the buttocks, which can easily lead to femoral neck fracture or lumbar compression fracture. After a fall, the patient usually falls to the ground and is unable to get up on his own. After the fracture, you need to stay in bed for 3 months, and the healing is very slow. If the vertebral body compresses more than 1 2, the condition is more serious and surgery is required**.
If possible, if you feel like you're about to fall, lower your body's center of gravity as much as possible to reduce the impact of a slip, but if you don't have time to react, it's relatively reasonable to hold your hands on the ground.
For example, in a common wrist fracture, the injured wrist can be held with the other hand, or the hand and forearm can be supported with a hard object (such as a book, paper shell), suspended from the neck with a strap, or secured to the chest with a bandage.
If there is a fracture in the hip bone or waist, do not carry or hold the injured person to move the position, and be sure to lie down and send the injured person to the hospital.
If the situation is serious, and there is a bleeding wound after the fall, or the bone is directly exposed to the open wound, first temporarily bandage it with clean gauze or a towel, call 120 on the spot for help, do not move the injured person without authorization, pay attention to keep warm, and wait for the doctor to deal with it. Note that if it is a complete fracture and the bone has been punctured, never try to press the bone back.
"Not too painful" can also be a fracture
Fracture is one of the serious consequences of falls, but in addition to fractures with obvious deformation, it is not easy for people to distinguish whether they are fractured, so they should be sent to the hospital as soon as possible after injury, which is related to whether the injured person can go smoothly.
In addition, there are many people who miss the opportunity because the pain in the injury is not obvious, which leads to neglecting the condition. Many people think that a fracture will be particularly painful, and if it is not too painful, it should be that there is no fracture, but in fact, there is no direct causal relationship between pain and fracture, but depends on the individual's tolerance for pain. Especially for the elderly, some elderly people have no obvious pain after fractures and bone cracks, and may not even affect normal activities, so they think they are okay and ignore the injury.
Apply a cold compress first, then apply a warm compress after the swelling is reduced
In general, if it is edema caused by trauma, there is no local ** damage, only soft tissue injury, in this case, within 24 hours, local cold compress will help to constrict blood vessels, prevent further increase of edema, and reduce pain symptoms. After 24 hours, the swelling of the wound will subside, and then apply a hot compress, which will help to promote blood circulation and blood stasis, and promote the absorption of edema. After a fall, many people will subconsciously rub the injury, thinking that this can reduce the pain and relieve the injury, in fact, massaging immediately after the fall is not only not conducive to the recovery of the injury, but may even aggravate the injury.
*: A new vision of healthy China.