A 21 year old female has an open femur fracture after falling off a horse. What should you do?

In the scenario of an open femur fracture, the priority is to manage the injury effectively while minimizing further complications. The best approach in this case is to apply manual stabilization to the femur. This technique helps to immobilize the fracture site, reducing movement that could exacerbate injury to surrounding soft tissue or cause further damage. It also reduces pain for the patient, as movement can be quite uncomfortable with an open fracture.

Immediate stabilization is vital to prepare the patient for transport, ensuring that the fracture does not move and worsen. It’s also important to address any potential bleeding associated with an open fracture and to avoid any excessive movement that might disrupt the fracture further. Manual stabilization serves as an immediate response to control the situation until further interventions, such as applying a traction splint or transporting the patient, can be performed safely.

In this context, while options like checking for distal circulation or immobilizing on a backboard can be important steps in trauma care, they do not prioritize the immediate stabilization of the fracture as effectively as manual stabilization does. A traction splint may also be appropriate for a closed femur fracture but is not the initial step, especially given the open nature of this fracture. Therefore, focusing on manual stabilization serves to address the most immediate needs