A 31-year-old male fell and landed on his left elbow. Your assessment reveals that the elbow is grossly deformed, his forearm is
cool and pale, and the distal pulse on the side of the injury is barely palpable. His vital signs are stable and he denies any other injuries. Your transport time to the closest appropriate hospital is approximately 15 minutes. You should:
Stabilize the elbow in the position found and transport
Explanation:
Whenever we need to transport a person with a serious fracture, such as the fracture shown in the question, we must be careful not to worsen the state of the fractured bones during the approach to the nearest hospital. In the case of the man who fell and fractured his left elbow, the most appropriate thing to do before transporting the man to the hospital is to stabilize the elbow in the position found and transport the man to the hospital.
