What happens if i wet my cast

If swelling increases, the splint or cast may become too tight. Almost all broken bones, injured tendons, and ligaments cause pain. Casts and splints are designed to relieve pain by limiting your movement. Your pain should become less severe each day after getting your cast or splint. Casts and splints are different, too. Casts are custom-made with fiberglass or plaster. A splint is like a half cast.

The hard part of a splint does not wrap all the way around the injured area like it does with a cast. Instead, there are usually 2 hard areas connected with an elastic bandage or other material that hold the splint in place.

Unlike casts, splints can be easily removed or adjusted. Splints can be custom-made from fiberglass or plaster, or they may be ready-made. Splints come in lots of shapes and sizes for different injuries. With a cast and splint, your pain should become less severe each day after getting it. To relieve discomfort that can occur when you get a cast or splint, raise the cast or splint above your heart.

You can do this by propping your arm or leg on pillows especially in the first 48 hours after you first get the cast.

You will have to lie down if the cast is on your leg. This may reduce pain and swelling. Flexing your fingers or wiggling the toes of the affected limb also helps reduced swelling and discomfort.

Call your doctor if your pain gets worse after getting the cast or splint. New pain or numbness may mean that the cast or splint is too tight. You should also call your doctor right away if you have new pain that develops in another area for example, pain in your fingers or forearm if you have a wrist or thumb injury, or pain in your toes or calf if you have an ankle or foot injury.

Eventually, your doctor will remove your cast or splint. Your doctor can remove the splint easily by unwrapping it. For casts, your doctor will use a special cast saw and blade that cuts through the outer layer of the cast safely. Never remove the cast yourself or use any cutting material to remove it. You could experience a serious injury to your skin, blood vessels, and injured area.

Last Updated: September 2, This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject. Poison is any substance that is harmful to your body.

You could breathe it in, swallow it, or absorb…. Broken fractured bones heal quite quickly in children, so they are usually only put into a cast for weeks. But if you notice a foul odor or a discharge coming from the cast, it could mean your skin underneath is infected.

The cast saw can cut through the fiberglass or plaster, the padding or cotton lining underneath will be removed with scissors. The nurse will cut down either side of the cast so they can get access to the padding. Then, they will use their rounded tip scissors to cut through the padding. With a cast and splint, your pain should become less severe each day after getting it. To relieve discomfort that can occur when you get a cast or splint, raise the cast or splint above your heart.

You can do this by propping your arm or leg on pillows especially in the first 48 hours after you first get the cast. When the pressure inside the cast builds up, it can cause damage to the muscles, nerves or blood vessels in the area covered by the cast. The damage may be permanent if it is not discovered and treated promptly. Call your doctor or visit the emergency room immediately if you notice any of the following symptoms.

This is important because your doctor will probably schedule additional x-rays after your splint or cast has been applied. X-rays can show whether the bones are healing well or have moved out of place. Just as your fingers and toes turn wrinkly after being in the bath or a pool, having a wet cast on for too long will cause the same thing to happen.

Extreme skin maceration can lead to an infection and possibly require surgery to clean the damaged tissue. The risk of infection increases tremendously due to the open wound from the surgical procedure. The staff will get you in and replace the cast with a new one once the skin has dried. You should then call your orthopedic office to schedule an appointment for a replacement cast.

It's always better to be safe than sorry. Making an extra trip to the doctor or urgent care is not ideal, but the risks of staying in a wet cast are far too great.

If it's not taken care of, you and your child could be dealing with "a fungus among us! Sign up to receive our once monthly email with up-to-date sports performance and sports medicine information from CHKD's sports medicine experts. Help me find at CHKD.

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