Upper Extremity Fracture (Child)

Home care

• If your child was given a sling, leave it in place. It will support the hurt arm. This is the best position for bone healing. The sling may be adjustable. If it becomes loose, adjust it so that the forearm is level with the ground. The hand should be level with the elbow.

• You must regularly check that your child's fingertips are pink and able to wiggle. If there is a change in the movement or color of the fingers, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

• Apply an ice pack to the injury to control swelling. Hold the pack on the injured area for 15 to 20 minutes every 1 to 2 hours the first day. Do this 3 to 4 times a day for the next 2 days, then as needed. To make an ice pack, put ice cubes in a plastic bag that seals at the top. Wrap the bag in a clean, thin towel or cloth. Never put ice or an ice pack directly on the skin. The cold pack can be put directly on the splint or cast. As the ice melts, be careful that the cast or splint doesn’t get wet.

• Care for a splint or cast as you’ve been told. Don’t put any powders or lotions inside the splint or cast. Keep your child from sticking objects into the splint or cast. This can injure the skin and may lead to infections.

• Keep the splint or cast and sling dry. For bathing, the sling can be removed. The splint or cast should be covered with a large plastic bag closed at the top with tape or rubber bands and kept out of the water.

• If your child was prescribed antibiotics, continue giving them as advised by your healthcare provider. Do not miss the dose. Do not stop them, even if your child is feeling better.

• If X-rays were taken, you will be told of any new findings that may affect your care.

General care

Your child may be prescribed medicines for pain. Follow the healthcare provider’s instructions for giving these medicines to your child. If prescription pain medicines are not used, then you may use over-the-counter medicine as directed based on age and weight.

If your child has chronic liver or kidney disease or ever had a stomach ulcer or gastrointestinal bleeding, talk with your child's healthcare provider before using these medicines. Don't give your child aspirin unless instructed by the child’s healthcare provider. Taking aspirin can put your child at risk for Reye syndrome. This is a rare but very serious disorder. It most often affects the brain and the liver.

Follow-up care

Follow up as advised by your healthcare provider. Follow-up X-rays may be needed to see how the bone is healing. If your child was given a splint, it may be changed to a cast at the follow-up visit. If you were referred to a specialist, make that appointment right away.

Special note

Healthcare providers are trained to recognize injuries like this in young children as a sign of possible abuse. Several healthcare providers may ask questions about how your child was injured. Healthcare providers must, by law, ask you these questions. This is done to protect the child. Please try to be patient and not get upset with them.

When to get medical advice

Call your child’s healthcare provider right away if any of these occur:

• The splint or cast becomes wet or soft.

• A bad smell comes from the cast.

• The cast or splint becomes loose.

• The cast or splint is too tight.

• Your child has increased swelling or pain.

• Fingers of the hand on your child's injured arm are cold, blue, numb, or tingly.

• Your child can’t move the fingers of the hand on the injured arm.

• The cast or splint cracks or breaks