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If a person has a broken bone, what is the best response?

  1. Stabilize/Immobilize the body part

  2. Attempt to re-align the bone manually

  3. Apply a tourniquet to prevent blood loss

  4. Elevate the injured part in all cases

The correct answer is: Stabilize/Immobilize the body part

Stabilizing or immobilizing the broken bone is the best response because it helps prevent further injury to the area, reduces pain, and avoids additional damage to surrounding tissues. Proper immobilization also promotes healing by keeping the bone fragments in place and minimizing movement, which can be crucial until professional medical help is available. Attempting to manually re-align the bone can often cause more harm than good and should only be done by a trained medical professional. Applying a tourniquet is generally reserved for severe bleeding and not appropriate for a broken bone unless there is significant and uncontrollable hemorrhaging. Elevating the injured part might be helpful in reducing swelling in some cases, but it should not be done indiscriminately, especially if it causes further discomfort or risk of more injury. Therefore, stabilizing and immobilizing the body part stands out as the most appropriate immediate action in the event of a fractured bone.