Cast Care

Why do I need a cast?
You have been given a cast to help your broken bone or torn ligaments heal. A cast can help keep the injured area from moving so you can heal faster without risk of repeated injury. How long you'll need to wear your cast depends on the type of injury you have and how serious it is. Your doctor may want to check your cast 1 to 3 days after putting it on to be sure that the cast isn't too tight and that your broken bone or torn ligament is starting to heal.

Will the broken bone hurt?
Almost all broken bones cause pain. The cast should relieve some pain by limiting your movements. Your pain should become less severe each day. Call your doctor immediately if the pain in the casted area gets worse after the cast has been applied. New pain may mean that the cast 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).

To relieve discomfort that can occur when you get a cast, raise the cast above your heart by propping your arm or leg on pillows. You will have to lay down if the cast is on your leg. This may reduce pain and swelling. Your doctor may want to see you to check the cast.

Is it okay to get the cast wet?
With some fiberglass casts, you can swim and bathe. However, most casts shouldn't get wet. If you get one of these casts wet, irritation and infection of the skin could develop. Talk to your doctor about how to care for your cast.

To avoid getting the cast wet during bathing, you can put a plastic bag over the cast and hold it with a rubber band. If the cast does get wet, you may be able to dry out the inside padding with a blow-dryer. (Use a low setting and blow the air through the outside of the cast.) Ask your doctor about using a blow-dryer before trying this.

What can I do about itching?
If your skin itches underneath the cast, don't slip anything inside the cast, since it may damage your skin and you could get an infection. Instead, try tapping the cast or blowing air from a blow-dryer down into the cast.

Source: http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/firstaid/after-injury/094.html

Recent Keyword Searches: how come cast saw doesn't cut skin, compensation for fall broken hand, cast signing for a broken leg, hair growth reaction medical cast time broken wrist, how to tell if a foot is broken, broken hip cast, the healing process of the bones in the body, cast for foot, things to do whilst in a leg cast, is my cast to loose

Fractures (broken bones): First aid

A fracture is a broken bone. It requires medical attention. If the broken bone is the result of a major trauma or injury, call 911 or your local emergency number. Also call for emergency help if:

• The person is unresponsive, isn't breathing or isn't moving. Begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if there's no respiration or heartbeat.
• There is heavy bleeding.
• Even gentle pressure or movement causes pain.
• The limb or joint appears deformed.
• The bone has pierced the skin.
• The extremity of the injured arm or leg, such as a toe or finger, is numb or bluish at the tip.
• You suspect a bone is broken in the neck, head or back.
• You suspect a bone is broken in the hip, pelvis or upper leg (for example, the leg and foot turn outward abnormally, compared with the uninjured leg).
Take these actions immediately while waiting for medical help:

• Stop any bleeding. Apply pressure to the wound with a sterile bandage, a clean cloth or a clean piece of clothing.
• Immobilize the injured area. Don't try to realign the bone, but if you've been trained in how to splint and professional help isn't readily available, apply a splint to the area.
• Apply ice packs to limit swelling and help relieve pain until emergency personnel arrive. Don't apply ice directly to the skin — wrap the ice in a towel, piece of cloth or some other material.
• Treat for shock. If the person feels faint or is breathing in short, rapid breaths, lay the person down with the head slightly lower than the trunk and, if possible, elevate the legs.

---

MORE ON THIS TOPIC
• Shock: First aid
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): First aid
• Severe bleeding: First aid

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-fractures/FA00058

Recent Keyword Searches: remove the plate in orthopaedic surgery, bone healing process, broken hand untreated, how to tell if arm broken, healing broken bones with nutrients, how long to heal broken hand in cast, broken bone in thumb, baby, broken hand cast, cast and toes blog, how long in cast for a simple broken bone in foot

Rib Fracture

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Broken ribs are more common in older adults than younger people. The ribs may be fractured in more than one place. They generally take from 3 to 8 weeks to heal.

Causes
Causes range from a fall or a blow to the chest to hard coughing or sneezing.

Signs/Symptoms
You'll suffer pain, especially when taking a breath. Other symptoms are tenderness and shallow breathing. You may feel as though you have to hold your chest to relieve the pain. There may be bruising at the place of injury.

Care
The break will need to heal naturally. To speed healing, follow the guidelines listed below.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
• Avoid strenuous activity. Be careful not to bump the injured rib.
• Eat a normal, well-balanced diet. Drink plenty of fluids to avoid constipation.
• Take deep breaths several times a day to keep the lungs free of infection.
• Do not wear a rib belt or binder.
• You may apply heat to the injury to help relieve pain. Use a warm heating pad, whirlpool bath, or warm, moist towels.
• You may use over-the-counter pain-killers such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen.

Call Your Doctor If...
• You develop a high temperature.
• You develop a cough.
• You cough up thick or bloody sputum.

Seek Care Immediately If...
• You have trouble breathing.
• You develop nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain.
• Your pain gets worse.

Source: http://www.healthsquare.com/mc/fgmc2180.htm

Recent Keyword Searches: broken 3rd metatarsal, healing wrong, pins and needles symptom metatarsal bone fracture, operation to mend broken left metacarpal, how to tell if a bone is broken in a leg, healing process broken hand

How to tell a broken bone from a hole in the snow

Winter is definitely here, with snow and ice in the morning, followed by sun and puddles in the afternoon. This can often cause a fall. Falling forward is a very common injury from many outside activities -- including skiing, snowboarding or running on icy trails -- and usually results in nothing more than a bruise or a bump.

Most commonly, falls mean a fracture of the wrist or hand, but sometimes the force of the blow can be transferred up the arm to the elbow. In this case, there could be a fracture or dislocation of the bones of the elbow, and the radial head is often where this occurs.

There are two bones in the forearm that connect to one in the upper arm. The humerus is the bone that goes from the shoulder to the elbow. At the elbow, it widens out so that it can connect to the bones of the forearm (the radius and the ulna). The construction of the forearm is complex in that it must allow rotation of the forearm so the wrist can go from facing down to facing up while still providing stability. This is achieved by having each bone swap functions at each end of the forearm. In the elbow, the radius is the bone that rotates. In the wrist, the ulna is the one that allows rotation. It is a pretty neat construct.

If there are excess loads to the forearm or wrist, these stresses can literally be sent up the arm to the elbow. This can result in so much force on the elbow and the forearm bones that something has to give. What gives depends upon many things, but one of the most important is that age of the person.

Young children tend to dislocate the elbow or fracture the end of the humerus or upper arm bone. Older people tend to fracture the wrist since they tend to have less calcium and weaker bones. Between the ages of 30 and 40, more commonly in women, the part of the radius bone that connects with the elbow is where the fracture occurs.

If you are unlucky enough to have an injury like this, here are some of the signs that you should look for:

Pain in and around the elbow, especially on the outside of the elbow.

Swelling around the elbow, especially on the outside.

Pain with bending or straightening the elbow.

Pain with trying to turn the forearm, such as with turning the palm up and down.

Pain in the elbow, especially on the outside, when gripping.

If any of these symptoms are present, you should get the arm in a sling or a splint to protect it and get it checked out. In most cases, the diagnosis is made from a routine X-ray, and we can classify the break as either a type I, II or III fracture depending on the severity.

If the initial X-rays are negative and the pain and especially loss of motion persist, you might need an MRI. This will allow proper treatment and hopefully a rapid return to full activity.

Paul Collins, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine at Orthopedic Health Care in Boise, Idaho. Collins is an avid participant in many outdoor activities.

Source: http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/dec/20/the-elbow-fractures-connected-to-the/

What Happens When You Break a Bone

It hurts to break a bone! It's different for everyone, but the pain is often like the deep ache you get from a super bad stomachache or headache. Some people may experience sharper pain - especially with an open fracture. And if the fracture is small, a kid may not feel much pain at all. Sometimes, a kid won't even be able to tell that he or she broke a bone!

Breaking a bone is a big shock to your whole body. It's normal for you to receive strong messages from parts of your body that aren't anywhere close to the fracture. You may feel dizzy, woozy, or chilly from the shock. A lot of people cry for a while. Some people pass out until their bodies have time to adjust to all the signals they're getting. And other people don't feel any pain right away because of the shock of the injury.

If you think you or someone else has broken a bone, the most important things to do are to:

• stay calm
• make sure the person who is hurt is as comfortable as possible
• tell an adult
• if there are no adults around, call 911 or the emergency number in your area

The worst thing for a broken bone is to move it. This will hurt the person and it can make the injury worse! In the case of a broken arm or leg, a grown-up may be able to cushion or support the surrounding area with towels or pillows.

One super-important tip: If you're not sure what bone is broken or you think the neck or back is broken, do not try to move the injured person. Wait until a trained medical professional has arrived!

Source: http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/aches/broken_bones.html