A Useful First Aid Tip

Spraining an ankle or foot is a common accident in many physical activities. It is hard to tell the difference between a severely sprained ankle and a fractured ankle. A useful test that can be used is called the Ottawa test. This test is not 100% accurate but it is pretty close.

There are two parts to this test. For the injury to be a fracture, the person would need to test positive for both tests.

1. Most people sprain the outside of their ankle, so tap on the outside ankle bone sticking out (lateral malleolus). Make sure to tap in the center and the back edge of the bone. If the person feels pain and tenderness then there may be a fracture.

2. Have the person try to walk on their foot. If they can take 4 steps then they probably sprained their ankle. If they cannot complete four steps then they may have a fracture.

This test could be hard to do on younger children because they tend to over react. For children, you can look for this fracture indication: The injured person tends to hop on their good foot – while doing this, if they complain about the jarring of the injured foot, then there is a possibility of a fracture.

If the injured person tests positive for a fracture, then take him or her to the hospital for x-rays. If the injured person tests negative for a fracture then they probably have a sprain. Take the injured person home and follow RICE procedures – Rest (for 48-72 hours), Ice (for about 20 min every 3 hours), Compress (wrap a tight bandage around it), and Elevate.