Broken Bone question

thethinker42 · Dec 28, 2011

So my character has a broken collarbone and some fractured ribs. He doesn't go to the hospital right away for reasons that make sense in the context of the story. I understand if he doesn't seek treatment for a LONG time, the bones can fuse incorrectly, need to be re-broken, etc. Does this become an issue if it's a matter of hours before he's treated? Not that the bones would heal during that time, of course, but would a 10-12 hour delay in treatment result in any additional damage, more complicated treatment, etc?

Also, if he tried to say he'd just been injured within the last hour or so, but it had actually been 10-12, would anything tip off the medical staff that he's lying? (Like I said, makes sense in context)

Thanks in advance

firedrake · Dec 28, 2011

When I was 13 I fell out of an apple tree and broke my arm.
As it was my second break in about 6 months I didn't want to tell my parents. So I think I held out for about 24 hours before my parents cottoned on that I'd hurt myself.
I went to A&E and the doctor had to reset my arm. So, yeah, I think things must start settling fairly quickly.
That's what I remember anyway. I know it hurt like buggery.

thethinker42 · Dec 28, 2011

firedrake said:
When I was 13 I fell out of an apple tree and broke my arm.
As it was my second break in about 6 months I didn't want to tell my parents. So I think I held out for about 24 hours before my parents cottoned on that I'd hurt myself.
I went to A&E and the doctor had to reset my arm. So, yeah, I think things must start settling fairly quickly.
That's what I remember anyway. I know it hurt like buggery.

Ouch, dude! I've never broken anything myself, so this is definitely not an area in which I have firsthand experience. *shudders at the thought of having a bone set*

firedrake · Dec 28, 2011

thethinker42 said:
Ouch, dude! I've never broken anything myself, so this is definitely not an area in which I have firsthand experience. *shudders at the thought of having a bone set*

It hurts so much you want to hurl.

Doctor said "Ah, you were little monkey, climbing trees" (He was from overseas, can't remember where, but his English wasn't great)

*wrench*

and that was that.

thethinker42 · Dec 28, 2011

firedrake said:
It hurts so much you want to hurl.

Oh, my character will be thrilled. He's already done a fair amount of pain-related hurling in this chapter. At least he'll be drunk by the time he gets to the emergency room...

firedrake · Dec 28, 2011

Drunk is probably best.

I remember my Dad saying, as the Doctor started to examine the arm..."This had better be bloody broken otherwise the insurance won't cover it."

thethinker42 · Dec 28, 2011

firedrake said:
Drunk is probably best.

Exactly.

I remember my Dad saying, as the Doctor started to examine the arm..."This had better be bloody broken otherwise the insurance won't cover it."

lol Ah, the joys of insurance...

firedrake · Dec 28, 2011

*hugs NHS*

thethinker42 · Dec 28, 2011

firedrake said:
*hugs NHS*

*hugs military insurance coverage* (Hey, it's all I've got and it beats the hell out of anything else I can get in this country.)

Sea Witch · Dec 28, 2011

probably wouldn't matter in this case. I've had broken ribs, and usually nothing is done for them and they're left to heal anyway. Broken collarbone--sometimes a sling, but often, nothing done anyway. Just hurts a lot.

Maryn · Dec 28, 2011

Hours? That shouldn't make any difference. The resetting, positioning the broken ends of bones to align, was deferred for about six hours, making it about ten hours after the break, when I broke my arm, both bones near the wrist. The ER had more serious patients, so we waited and waited.

I also apparently broke a rib near my breastbone which did not get treatment and healed out of alignment, leaving a knot of bone surrounding the broken ends. While it makes fitting a bra an adventure, no doctor has ever suggested re-breaking it to get a cleaner mend.

If a broken bone isn't set, your body does the best it can to surround the injury with new bone. Both Kid Two and I broke toes and the doctors didn't even attempt to line up the bones. We have lumpy pinkie toes which cause us no problems once they healed. I understand anthropologists find skeletal remains and living primitive peoples suggesting the common practice of immobilizing the area where the break is and letting nature take its course, although the person may end up limping for the rest of his life.

Maryn, battle-scarred

thethinker42 · Dec 28, 2011

Good to know, Maryn and Sea Witch. Thanks!

jclarkdawe · Dec 28, 2011

thethinker42 said:
So my character has a broken collarbone and some fractured ribs. He doesn't go to the hospital right away for reasons that make sense in the context of the story. I understand if he doesn't seek treatment for a LONG time, the bones can fuse incorrectly, need to be re-broken, etc. Ribs will pretty much stay in place, especially the upper, non-floating ribs. Collarbone is frequently a stable fracture, with the treatment being to sling it in a position of comfort. More likely than not, it will heal in the correct position. Neither would be high on my list to go see a doctor. Does this become an issue if it's a matter of hours before he's treated? Not that the bones would heal during that time, of course, but would a 10-12 hour delay in treatment result in any additional damage, more complicated treatment, etc?

Also, if he tried to say he'd just been injured within the last hour or so, but it had actually been 10-12, would anything tip off the medical staff that he's lying? (Like I said, makes sense in context) Swelling, bruising (black and blue marks) would both indicate a break substantially earlier than he's saying.

Thanks in advance

If you can feel the collarbone is in substantially the correct location, when supported by a sling, you're probably not going to get a whole lot out of the doctor visit. Depending upon your tolerance for pain, and your view of doctors, neither are a big deal. Of course, most broken bones can be set fairly easily without a doctor, although I won't recommend it. But it's been done for centuries.

If your character is drunk by the time he makes it to the emergency room, they won't probably do anything for him until he sobers up.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

alleycat · Dec 28, 2011

My pretend daughter broke her collarbone a couple of months ago (I went with her to surgery). I can't remember exactly, but it was something like four days from the time she broke it until she had surgery.

If you need more information from someone who's "been there, done that" let me know I'll put you in touch with her.

50 Foot Ant · Dec 28, 2011

A broken collarbone hurts like no other broken bone. To top it off, you pretty much lose the ability to use that arm unless you've got great pain tolerance and/or can push yourself past the sheer fiery agony. Top it off with broken ribs and even breathing, much less moving, will be agony.

They'll be able to tell how long it was, roughly, by the bruising patterns and coloration, but don't really care. Sometimes you can't get a doctor right away, or don't know how badly you are injured.

For context: I broke my collarbone and four ribs and didn't get medical treatment for almost 12 hours. Even breathing hurt bad enough to make my eyes water and I spent a lot of time gritting my teeth and trying not to scream.

MeretSeger · Dec 28, 2011

Broken arm experience:

My mother wouldn't believe it was broken because I could move it-once. 8 hours later at the ER, it was too swollen to set, so I was on ice for many more hours until it went down enough to set. Joy.

Swelling might be a tell-tale on age of the injury, though I have no experience with collarbones.

Sea Witch · Dec 28, 2011

I thought of something else thethinker42, often people that are drunk and get hurt (like falling down stairs) don't get injured as badly as someone who is sober because they are more relaxed and flexible.

And with all due respect to 50 Foot Ant, I think all kinds of broken bones hurt terribly, not just collar bones. I broke my back a few years ago and explored realms of pain I didn't know existed--and still do.

thethinker42 · Dec 28, 2011

Sea Witch said:
I thought of something else thethinker42, often people that are drunk and get hurt (like falling down stairs) don't get injured as badly as someone who is sober because they are more relaxed and flexible.

He gets drunk after the fact, but duly noted.

Thanks for the input, everyone! Much appreciated.

CrastersBabies · Dec 28, 2011

I can say that I broke my foot in multiple places but my parents didn't take me to the doctor because I wasn't bleeding out of my eyes.

I sprained my ankle and had to get that foot x-Rayed. The doc asked when I "broke the hell out of my foot," and I told him what happened.

It had apparently healed up over time some areas healed fine, other areas, not so fine. Still have chronic pain from time to time, but there was nothing they could do. Probably doesn't help, but I will say that waiting too long must suck--to have things rebroken.

thethinker42 · Dec 28, 2011

CrastersBabies said:
I can say that I broke my foot in multiple places but my parents didn't take me to the doctor because I wasn't bleeding out of my eyes.

I sprained my ankle and had to get that foot x-Rayed. The doc asked when I "broke the hell out of my foot," and I told him what happened.

It had apparently healed up over time some areas healed fine, other areas, not so fine. Still have chronic pain from time to time, but there was nothing they could do. Probably doesn't help, but I will say that waiting too long must suck--to have things rebroken.

My brother did the same thing...hurt his ankle in boot camp, and found out -- after his 4-year enlistment was over -- that he'd actually broken it. When you consider how much running Marines do...*shudder*

CrastersBabies · Dec 28, 2011

thethinker42 said:
My brother did the same thing...hurt his ankle in boot camp, and found out -- after his 4-year enlistment was over -- that he'd actually broken it. When you consider how much running Marines do...*shudder*

Broken ankle? holy cow, just seeing that gives me the jibblies. I sprained the ever-living hell out of my ankle, thought for sure it was broken. FOR SURE. The doc said that he'd seen people have their ankles run over by cars with no break, that it's so friggin' HARD to break your ankle.

Poor guy! I cannot imagine how painful that was.

Mine was after, oh... 20 years. I was 34 or 35 when I sprained my ankle and the broken foot accident occurred when I was 15 or so..... It only really bothers me when I'm on it a lot, when I wear poor support in my shoes or when it's super cold.

For those who have had to have something rebroken, what the heck? How do they do that and get it broken in the right spot again? Or is it easy because it's still fragile? I mean, I think of having something rebroken and I hear the doctor going, "oops! I got the wrong spot, sorry about that..."

thethinker42 · Dec 28, 2011

CrastersBabies said:
Broken ankle? holy cow, just seeing that gives me the jibblies. I sprained the ever-living hell out of my ankle, thought for sure it was broken. FOR SURE. The doc said that he'd seen people have their ankles run over by cars with no break, that it's so friggin' HARD to break your ankle.

Poor guy! I cannot imagine how painful that was.

My brother has fairly weak ankles (both the soft tissue and the bones), and apparently he jumped off something in boot camp and landed just right. He thought he'd just sprained it again -- he'd only done that, like, a million times -- so he didn't bother getting it looked at. Go figure, it's never been the same.

Linda Adams · Dec 28, 2011

Sea Witch said:
I thought of something else thethinker42, often people that are drunk and get hurt (like falling down stairs) don't get injured as badly as someone who is sober because they are more relaxed and flexible.

Not always true. When I was in the military, one of the guys was really blasted and went into the bathroom to use the urinal. Somehow, he managed to fall out of the second story window and broke both his arms (as in cast from hand to shoulder for both). Granted, he was so drunk, he stayed out there out cold until he was found the next morning ...

SuzanneSeese · Dec 29, 2011

My youngest at the age of 12 broke his arm, both bones, radius and ulna I think. Crack both all the way through. We were on a long weekend in Niagara Falls and it didn't swell up to bad so we didn't think it was broken. Wrapped it in an ace bandage and kept him hopped up on Canadian aspirin. Got home went to the doctor and he comes in waving the exray saying this kid should be crying. So we went for a cast. :e2thud:

My husband fell off a ladder and his hand swelled up, went to the emergency room and they said an orthopedic surgeon wouldn't put a cast on it until the swelling went down.

Now, I cracked ribs and there was nothing they could do about that. Hurts like hell though because you have to breath.

shaldna · Dec 30, 2011

thethinker42 said:
So my character has a broken collarbone and some fractured ribs. He doesn't go to the hospital right away for reasons that make sense in the context of the story. I understand if he doesn't seek treatment for a LONG time, the bones can fuse incorrectly, need to be re-broken, etc.

Not only that, but in the case of ribs he's not going to be able to breathe, or do any sort of activity more strenuous than watching TV. He won't be able to sleep, and there's the chance that, if the break is bad enough, that he can puncture his lung - this makes rib breaks so much more dangerous than they seem at first.

Generally though, ribs and collar bones aren't 'set' as they are in awkard places to put a cast, but the hospital would xray and make sure that there is no offset that will cause a problem. Often though, especially with collar bone breaks, you'll end up haveing a slight offset anyway, which will show as a slight lump under the skin.

Does this become an issue if it's a matter of hours before he's treated? Not that the bones would heal during that time, of course, but would a 10-12 hour delay in treatment result in any additional damage, more complicated treatment, etc?

The main thing is the limited movements, particualry breathing, which he will not want to breathe too deeply, and so runs the risk of developing pneumonia, which is a major problem in terms of rib breaks.

Also, as I said above, a bad break runs the risk of puncturing a lung, which can be very dangerous.

Broken Bone question

Abnormal Romance Author

practical experience, FTW

Abnormal Romance Author

practical experience, FTW

Abnormal Romance Author

practical experience, FTW

Abnormal Romance Author

practical experience, FTW

Abnormal Romance Author

Stirring the word cauldron

Baaa!

Abnormal Romance Author

Feeling lucky, Query?

Still around

The Alydar of Writers

Stirring the word cauldron

Abnormal Romance Author

Burninator!

Abnormal Romance Author

Burninator!

Abnormal Romance Author

Soldier, Storyteller

Comfortably numb by rejections

The cake is a lie. But still cake.