{"id":5182,"date":"2025-02-23T16:40:27","date_gmt":"2025-02-23T16:40:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.orthogate.org\/press\/?p=5182"},"modified":"2025-02-23T17:51:04","modified_gmt":"2025-02-23T17:51:04","slug":"chapter-16-musculoskeletal-emergencies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orthogate.org\/press\/oer-spotlight\/chapter-16-musculoskeletal-emergencies\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 16 Musculoskeletal Emergencies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This chapter provides an overview of musculoskeletal emergencies, including spinal injuries, crush injuries, compartment syndrome, fractures, infections, dislocations, deep venous thrombosis (DVT), and soft-tissue injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Key Points:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Prompt recognition and treatment of musculoskeletal emergencies is crucial to prevent significant impairment and complications.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pain is the most common reason for patients to seek medical care, but it can mask other serious conditions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Common injury complexes can be identified when a reasonable history of events is obtained.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain pose a challenge in differentiating new symptoms from preexisting ones.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A systematic approach to trauma is essential.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Spinal Injuries:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Can range from simple fractures to spinal cord injuries resulting in paraplegia, quadriplegia, or death.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Motor vehicle accidents, falls from heights, and gunshot wounds are the most common causes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The cervical spine is the most commonly injured, followed by the lumbar spine.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Treatment of life-threatening injuries should have priority, but spinal immobilization should be initiated at once.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Crush Injuries:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Result from prolonged, continuous pressure on an extremity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can lead to metabolic derangements, compartment syndrome, and multiple system complications.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Early and aggressive therapy is aimed at preventing renal failure and minimizing metabolic fluctuations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Compartment Syndrome:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Occurs when increased pressure within a closed myofascial space causes decreased perfusion and oxygen deprivation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Early recognition is essential to prevent permanent tissue damage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Treatment involves surgical decompression of the compartment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Open Fractures:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Require aggressive treatment to prevent infection.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Surgical consultation is necessary in every instance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emergency treatment includes removing obvious debris, covering the wound, giving tetanus prophylaxis and antibiotics, and temporarily stabilizing the limb.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Pelvic Fractures:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Can be one of the most severe types of fractures.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>High-impact forces, such as motor vehicle collisions, are the most common cause.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Immediate treatment begins with assessment of the trauma ABCs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Long Bone Fractures:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The mechanism of injury is most commonly blunt trauma.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can result in significant blood loss.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Treatment includes applying a splint, providing adequate pain medication, and immediate surgical consultation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Bite Wounds:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Require urgent treatment to prevent infection.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dog bites account for most bites, but cat bites and human bites can also occur.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Treatment includes irrigation, d\u00e9bridement, and antibiotics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Effusions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The presence of pus and blood in the joint signify an acute condition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Arthrocentesis may yield important information about the cause of the joint swelling.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Treatment depends on the cause of the effusion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dislocations:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Are considered musculoskeletal emergencies because of possible associated neurovascular stretch injuries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Immediate reduction should be attempted to relieve pressure on the arteries or nerves.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The shoulder is the most commonly dislocated joint.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A dangerous complication that can lead to pulmonary embolism and death.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Risk factors include elective hip and knee surgery and lower extremity fractures.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Treatment options include anticoagulation medication.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Occult Fractures:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Not all fractures are obvious on plain radiographs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Delayed diagnosis can be harmful.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emergency treatment of a suspected occult fracture includes protective immobilization.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.orthogate.org\/press\/chapter-16-musculoskeletal-emergencies\/\">Goto Chapter 16 Musculoskeletal Emergencies<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This chapter provides an overview of musculoskeletal emergencies, including spinal injuries, crush injuries, compartment syndrome, fractures, infections, dislocations, deep venous thrombosis (DVT), and soft-tissue injuries. Key Points: Spinal Injuries: Crush Injuries: Compartment Syndrome: Open Fractures: Pelvic Fractures: Long Bone Fractures: Bite Wounds: Effusions: Dislocations: Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT): Occult Fractures:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4416,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48,31,523],"tags":[163,365,380,384,381,358,385,232,383,382],"class_list":["post-5182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-disorders","category-musculoskeletal-medicine","category-oer-spotlight","tag-arthrocentesis","tag-compartment-syndrome","tag-crush-injuries","tag-deep-venous-thrombosis-dvt","tag-dislocations","tag-fractures","tag-occult-fractures","tag-osteonecrosis","tag-pulmonary-embolism-pe","tag-spinal-injuries"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orthogate.org\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orthogate.org\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orthogate.org\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orthogate.org\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orthogate.org\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5182"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.orthogate.org\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5182\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orthogate.org\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4416"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orthogate.org\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orthogate.org\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orthogate.org\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}