© Cambridge Fracture Clinic - Mr Lee Van Rensburg - Cambridge; United Kingdom
Plaster advice
Please look after your plaster.
In an emergency attend a local emergency department or phone your local hospitals plaster room. After an acute injury keep the affected limb elevated for 24 to 48hrs. If the cast is starting to feel tight, stop what you are doing and elevate the broken limb. Try get it to the level of your heart. eg. For a broken ankle lie down and elevate the leg on a few pillows. Don't take weight on a synthetic cast for about an hour after application. For a traditional Plaster of paris cast it may take up to 2 to 3 days to fully set to allow weight bearing. Always wear a plaster shoe to protect the plaster if walking on your cast. Do not put anything down the cast to try and scratch, you may damage the skin and or lose the object down the side of the cast. Do not get the plaster wet (unless you have a swimming plaster on). Use a waterproof cover (limbo) Do keep wiggling and moving your toes or fingers, it helps reduce the swelling. Attend your local emergency department URGENTLY if: If you notice extreme swelling in your fingers or toes and they turn blue (Not bruising though). The cast feels very tight and the pain becomes severe and does not respond to simple elevation (raising the limb to the level of your heart). You are unable to move your fingers or toes and a little movement of the fingers or toes is very painful. You are getting pins and needles in your fingers or toes.Appendix
Swimming plaster/ cast it is possible in certain fractures to provide you with a cast that you can wear and swim in, in fresh water. Looking after your swimming cast. The problem with swimming in softcasts and water is not that the cast will disintegrate but that the skin will become soggy and macerate. Ensure you flush out the limb with clean water to get rid of any dirt and wash out any pool chemicals. Dry out the limb if not in a warm climate use a hairdryer and ensure the cast dries totally. Give the skin a break do not keep it soaked in water all the time. Plaster waterproof covers Limbo Waterproof Plaster Cast Covers (for baths/showers) Website: www.limboproducts.com
© Cambridge Fracture Clinic - Mr Lee Van Rensburg -
Cambridge; United Kingdom
Plaster advice
Please look after your plaster.
In an emergency attend a local emergency department or phone your local hospitals plaster room. After an acute injury keep the affected limb elevated for 24 to 48hrs. If the cast is starting to feel tight, stop what you are doing and elevate the broken limb. Try get it to the level of your heart. eg. For a broken ankle lie down and elevate the leg on a few pillows. Don't take weight on a synthetic cast for about an hour after application. For a traditional Plaster of paris cast it may take up to 2 to 3 days to fully set to allow weight bearing. Always wear a plaster shoe to protect the plaster if walking on your cast. Do not put anything down the cast to try and scratch, you may damage the skin and or lose the object down the side of the cast. Do not get the plaster wet (unless you have a swimming plaster on). Use a waterproof cover (limbo) Do keep wiggling and moving your toes or fingers, it helps reduce the swelling. Attend your local emergency department URGENTLY if: If you notice extreme swelling in your fingers or toes and they turn blue (Not bruising though). The cast feels very tight and the pain becomes severe and does not respond to simple elevation (raising the limb to the level of your heart). You are unable to move your fingers or toes and a little movement of the fingers or toes is very painful. You are getting pins and needles in your fingers or toes.Appendix
Swimming plaster/ cast it is possible in certain fractures to provide you with a cast that you can wear and swim in, in fresh water. Looking after your swimming cast. The problem with swimming in softcasts and water is not that the cast will disintegrate but that the skin will become soggy and macerate. Ensure you flush out the limb with clean water to get rid of any dirt and wash out any pool chemicals. Dry out the limb if not in a warm climate use a hairdryer and ensure the cast dries totally. Give the skin a break do not keep it soaked in water all the time. Plaster waterproof covers Limbo Waterproof Plaster Cast Covers (for baths/showers) Website: www.limboproducts.com
