Cast Care – Discharge Instructions
Post-treatment care is as important as the medical procedure itself. Fakeeh University Hospital is here to help you all the way to recovery. There are certain Dos and Don’ts to every type post-treatment care, especially if you are at home. Here, we shall guide you on how to care for your cast.
Dos of Cast Care
- Continue to cover your cast with a poly bag or any water-resistant bag/s, especially during activities like bathing or any other activity, which may endanger your cast to become wet (you can also use trash bags that fit and cover the cast well)
- Raise your limb above the level of your heart as often as you can. This will help decrease the swelling and pain. For this, you can prop your limb on pillows or blankets, to keep them elevated comfortably
- Exercise the joints that are near the cast, like fingers, toes, elbow, or knee. This improves blood circulation and fastens the recovery
- Use supportive tools such as crutches or slings, as may be directed by your doctor
Don’ts of Cast Care
- Do not use a sharp or pointed object to scratch under your cast. This may result in wounds that may also get infected. If your skin itches, try to blow cool air under the cast. Alternatively, you can also gently scratch your skin outside the cast with a cloth
- Do not pull or repair any of the padding from inside the cast. This may cause blisters and sores under your cast
- Do not drive or lift any heavy object till your cast has been removed, and/or as directed by your doctor
Contact your doctor or hospital, if
- Something falls into your cast and gets stuck
- You have excess itching, pain, burning, or weakness in the casted body area
- You develop a fever
- You have sores, blisters, or breaks on the skin around the edges of the cast
- You have questions or concerns about your condition or care
Seek care immediately, if
- Your cast breaks or gets damaged
- You see drainage, or your cast is stained or smells bad
- Your skin turns blue or pale
- Your skin tingles, burns, or is cold or numb
- You have severe pain that is getting worse and does not go away even after you take pain medication
- There is no space between your skin and the cast, and your cast looks or feels tighter than it has before
- You have trouble breathing and/or have chest pain
