Health Tip: Caring For Your Cast

Help promote healing

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(HealthDay News) -- A cast or splint provides protection for bones that are fractured or otherwise injured.

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The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these suggestions to care properly for a cast or splint:

• Keep your cast dry to prevent weakening of the cast and skin irritation. Wrap the cast in two plastic layers or a waterproof shield while you shower.
• If you have a walking cast, don't actually walk on it until it is completely dry and hardened. This generally takes two or three days for plaster casts, and an hour for fiberglass casts.
• Keep powder, sand and dirt from getting inside your cast.
• Don't pull out the stuffing from your cast, and never insert sharp objects to scratch.
• Check the cast frequently for cracks or weak areas, and monitor the skin surrounding the cast. Call your doctor if you notice problems with the cast or raw/red skin.

-- Diana Kohnle