{"id":50672,"date":"2025-04-25T21:35:38","date_gmt":"2025-04-26T01:35:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/mayo-health-library\/cast-care-dos-and-donts\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T11:52:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T16:52:27","slug":"cast-care-dos-and-donts","status":"publish","type":"mayo","link":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/zh\/mayo-health-library\/cast-care-dos-and-donts\/","title":{"rendered":"Cast care: Do&#8217;s and don&#8217;ts"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"container mx-auto   wordpress-block wordpress- core-\">\n<p>If your child breaks a bone, a cast can help support and protect the injury as it heals. But a cast can&#8217;t do its job without proper care. Learn about the basics of cast care.<\/p>\n<p>Casts are custom-made to fit and support injured limbs. There are two main types of casts:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Plaster casts.<\/strong> Plaster casts are easier to mold for some uses than are fiberglass casts. Plaster casts also generally are less expensive.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fiberglass casts.<\/strong> These plastic casts tend to be lighter and more durable than plaster casts. Also, X-rays can see through fiberglass casts better than plaster casts. So it&#8217;s easier for a healthcare professional to examine your child&#8217;s bones when a fiberglass cast is used.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Swelling can cause your child&#8217;s cast to feel tight and uncomfortable. To reduce swelling:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Raise the affected area.<\/strong> For the first 24 to 72 hours after the cast is applied, use pillows to raise the cast above the level of your child&#8217;s heart. If the cast is on a leg, your child may need to lean back on cushions or lie down.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Apply ice.<\/strong> Loosely wrap an ice pack covered in a thin towel. Then place it around the cast at the general location of the injury. Ice that&#8217;s packed rigidly and only touches the cast at one point won&#8217;t be as effective. Be sure to wrap the ice so that the cast doesn&#8217;t get wet.<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u7e7c\u7e8c\u79fb\u52d5\u3002<\/strong> Encourage your child to move the fingers or toes of the injured limb often.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A cast can cause the skin underneath it to feel itchy. To relieve itchy skin, turn a hair dryer on a cool setting and aim it under the cast.<\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t allow your child to stick objects inside the cast to scratch the skin. This could cause an injury or infection.<\/p>\n<p>In general, casts are meant to stay dry. A wet cast can lead to skin irritation or infection. But whether a cast can get wet may depend on the type of cast your child has.<\/p>\n<p>Plaster casts and fiberglass casts with conventional padding aren&#8217;t waterproof. Keep your child&#8217;s cast dry during baths or showers by covering it with two layers of plastic, sealed with a rubber band or duct tape. Avoid swimming while wearing a cast that isn&#8217;t waterproof.<\/p>\n<p>A fiberglass cast that has a waterproof liner can get wet. Only certain types of breaks can be treated with a waterproof cast and liner. Ask your healthcare professional if it&#8217;s safe to get the cast wet.<\/p>\n<p>If the cast does get wet, you might be able to dry out the inside padding with a hair dryer. Use a low heat setting to avoid burning or irritating the skin.<\/p>\n<p>Try these tips to keep your child&#8217;s cast in good shape:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Keep it clean.<\/strong> Keep dirt and sand away from the inside of your child&#8217;s cast.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Skip toiletries.<\/strong> Avoid placing powder, lotion or deodorant on or near the cast.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Leave adjustments to your child&#8217;s healthcare team.<\/strong> Don&#8217;t pull out the padding in the cast. Don&#8217;t trim the cast or break off rough edges without first asking your child&#8217;s healthcare professional.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Contact your child&#8217;s healthcare team right away if your child:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Feels increasing pain and tightness in the injured limb.<\/li>\n<li>Feels numbness or tingling in the injured hand or foot.<\/li>\n<li>Feels burning or stinging under the cast.<\/li>\n<li>Develops excessive swelling below the cast.<\/li>\n<li>Can&#8217;t move the toes or fingers on the injured limb, or the toes or fingers become blue or cold.<\/li>\n<li>Says the cast feels too tight or too loose.<\/li>\n<li>Develops raw skin or has a change in skin color around the cast. This change may be a shade of red, purple or brown depending on your child&#8217;s skin color.<\/li>\n<li>Develops a crack, soft spots or a foul odor in the cast.<\/li>\n<li>Gets the cast soaking wet and doesn&#8217;t dry it properly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Caring for a child&#8217;s cast isn&#8217;t always easy. Remind your child that taking care of the cast will help lessen discomfort during the healing process.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn tips to keep a cast safe and your child comfortable while an injury heals.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[771,1681,1682,1684],"class_list":["post-50672","mayo","type-mayo","status-publish","hentry","tag-children","tag-life-stage","tag-person-group-concept","tag-theme-of-focus","content_type-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Cast care: Do&#039;s and don&#039;ts - Hancock Health<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/zh\/mayo-health-library\/cast-care-dos-and-donts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"zh_HK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cast care: Do&#039;s and don&#039;ts - 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