1. Keep
your casted arm or leg raised above heart level with pillows for at least 2-3
days to decrease swelling.
2. Move
your fingers or toes of the casted limb frequently to avoid stiffness.
3. Always
keep your cast in good condition.
4. Before
bathing, cover your cast in a cast protector or a polythene bag.
5. Do
not walk, run or play sports with your cast unless recommended by your doctor.
6. Keep
your cast as well as the casted limb dry; do not wet it with water/ oil or
lotion.
7. Do
not pull out the cotton padding from the splint or cast.
8. If
you have itching in the casted limb, blow cool air into the cast with a hair
dryer. Or you could place an ice pack covered in a towel over the cast to cool
the underlying skin, but without wetting the cast.
9. Avoid
inserting objects into the cast for itching as a retained object in your cast
can result in serious injury or infection of the skin.
10. Follow up with your doctor as advised. Prolonged use of plaster cast can lead to various complications.
Consult your doctor in case of any
of the following complications:
· Persisting
and/ or severe pain even after one week.
· Inability
or difficulty in moving your fingers or toes.
· Fingers
or toes are cold and appear bluish/ white.
· Cast
is damaged or cracked.
· Numbness,
burning, swelling or tightness around or inside the casted limb.
· Cast
has a foul odor.
Reference:
1. WHO
Surgical Care at the District Hospital 2003
2. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00095
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