SPORTS INJURY FIRST AID ACUTE INJURIES • These are injuries that occur suddenly and are usually short-lived, requiring immediate treatment. PAIN AND SWELLING • Soft tissue injuries such as bruises. Bruises are bluish or purplish patches that appear on the skin when tiny vessels called capillaries break or burst underneath. Soft tissues swell and possibly bleed internally when damaged. CUT • A wound in which the skin is sliced by a sharp-edged tool like a knife. Abrasion or shallow scrape is characterized by the treating or wearing away of the top layer skin called epidermis. FRACTURE • This is a break in the bone that is a result of a quick one-time injury or acute fracture or as a result of repeated stress to the bone or stress fracture. SPRAIN • A tear or stretch in the ligament that is caused by trauma such as a blow or fall that knocks a joint out of position. STRAIN • A twist, pull, or tear of a muscle or tendon-a cord of tissue connecting the muscle to the bone. CONCUSSION • Is a traumatic brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or another injury that shakes the brain inside the skull.
