Q: Put small pieces of cotton or gauze between each finger at the base of the hand to help absorb sweat. Measure out a length for the splint that can adequately immobilize the hand and fingers. The length of the splint should be approximately the length from the middle of your forearm to the fingertips. Curve the splint so that it follows the curve of the injured limb and provides a cupping support to the wrist/arm/elbow. Pad the splint and your hand with cotton padding. Splints are meant to allow an injury to safely recover while positioned in a safe and natural resting position. The splint should be applied with the hand and wrist in a neutral position.  A neutral position is generally the relaxed and natural position of the resting hand where your fingers are naturally slightly curled without any active flexing or use of the muscles.  Take a rolled up crepe bandage segment, rolled gauze or a small cloth and set it between the resting fingers and the bottom of the splint to support the fingers in the resting position In general, the wrist is usually at a position of 20 degrees extension, and the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints are positioned in 70 degrees of flexion. The MCP joints are the joints at the base of your fingers that attach to your palm. The interphalangeal joints are the joints between your fingertips and and the MCP joints and should be roughly straight. For finger injuries, be sure to allow the fingers to flex naturally. There should not be anything rigid that keeps the fingers from passively flexing or bending at rest. Use gauze, a clean cloth or belt. Wind it securely around the splint and wrist area to keep the splint in place. Secure the splint without wrapping too tightly.  Work from above the injury site to the injury site. If possible, wrap up to the injury, then put a different colored bandage over the injury. This allows the doctor to remove only the bandage over the injury to assess it, leaving the splint in place for support. A splint is not a cast, and should allow for more mobility. If the splint is wrapped too tightly, there will be no flexing (bending of your hand and fingers downward towards the natural resting position) and too much constant pressure may be applied to the injury. Ensure that the splint is only wrapped tightly enough to make the splint secure in its position. Check the fingertips for circulation by gently squeezing over the fingernail. If the color returns to the fingernail in good time, circulation is good. Otherwise, rewrap the bandage and retest the capillary refill in this manner. Only remove it at your doctor's recommendation and under his supervision.
A: Prepare the hand for splinting. Make or cut the splint as needed. Position and contour the splint. Wrap the fractured area. Do not remove the splint.

Q: . In order to help you keep track of the triggers that cause your digestive problems, keep a detailed diary that includes what you ate each day, what medications you took, what activities you participated in, and what significant events occurred. Keep track of any digestive issues you experience each day as well. Once you do this for a while, you may start to notice patterns.  Common foods that trigger digestive problems include dairy, coffee, and carbonated beverages. Fruit juices can be a common trigger as well. Foods with high amounts of simple sugars are osmotically active and pull water into the bowel, causing diarrhea. This is especially seen in children. . In order to avoid introducing unhealthy bacteria into your digestive system, make sure to always thoroughly wash your hands with warm water and soap after you use the bathroom and before you eat. You can prevent food poisoning by thoroughly cooking meat and eggs, washing produce, storing all foods at the proper temperature, checking expiration dates, and avoiding unpasteurized dairy products and cider. . Stress can trigger digestive issues for many people, so try to combat it by pursuing relaxing hobbies.  Yoga and meditation are relaxing for many people, but if these don’t appeal to you, you can choose any hobby that helps you feel relaxed. . Getting your body moving can help stimulate digestion. Try taking a short walk after you eat.  Exercise is also important to help you maintain a healthy weight, which is important for optimal digestive health.  Aerobic exercises like running and dancing are great for relieving constipation.  Certain  yoga poses, especially twists and forward bends, which massage the digestive organs, can help improve digestion.  Give yourself some time to digest before engaging in any strenuous exercises, or you might experience symptoms like bloating and cramping. . In addition to the many other known health risks, smoking can cause or aggravate a variety of digestive issues, including heartburn, GERD, Crohn’s disease, pancreatitis, gallstones, colon polyps, and peptic ulcers. Smoking also increases the risk of many different cancers of the digestive system, like colon and liver cancers. You may experience immediate relief from some of your digestive ailments when you quit smoking. Your risk of developing chronic digestive conditions will also decrease over time after you quit. If your digestive problems are severe or if they don’t improve at all with diet and lifestyle changes, you may have a medical condition that requires treatment, so see your doctor. You should make an appointment right away if you have any of the following symptoms:  Persistent diarrhea Persistent or severe abdominal pain Bloody stools Changes in the color or frequency of stools Unintended weight loss Chest pain
A:
Keep a journal Wash your hands Avoid contaminated food. Reduce stress Exercise  Quit smoking Seek medical help for persistent problems.