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What nursing care are you going to give the patient with plaster cast?

Caring for the plaster

  • Rest for a couple of days once the plaster is applied to allow it to set completely.
  • Keep the plaster dry.
  • Try to keep the plaster out of the rain.
  • Don’t stick objects down the plaster, as this will damage the skin.
  • Don’t cut or interfere with the cast.
  • Don’t walk on the plaster.

How do you take care of a nursing cast?

Care for your cast while it hardens:

  1. Protect the cast. Do not put weight on the cast. Do not bend, lean on, or hit the cast with anything.
  2. Change positions often. Change your position every 2 hours to help the cast dry faster.
  3. Keep the cast dry. Tie plastic trash bags around your cast to keep it dry while you bathe.

What interventions should you do for a patient with a cast?

For the first 24 to 72 hours after your child’s cast is applied, use pillows to raise the cast above the level of your child’s heart. Your child will need to recline if the cast is on a leg. Apply ice. Loosely wrap an ice pack covered in a thin towel around your child’s cast at the level of the injury.

Can a nurse apply a cast?

A health care provider such as an orthopedic surgeon , emergency room doctor, physician assistant , orthopedic technician, or nurse practitioner puts on the cast. To put on the cast, the health care provider: wraps a liner of soft material around the injured area (for a waterproof cast, a different liner is used)

What are you assessing a client for when wearing a cast?

BY ASSESSING FOR CHANGES in circulation and oxygenation in a casted or an immobilized arm or leg, you can detect threats to neurologic function.

What is cast in nursing?

A CAST CAN IMMOBILIZE a fracture while it heals, correct a deformity, apply uniform pressure to underlying soft tissue, or support and stabilize weakened joints. Casts are usually made of lightweight and durable fiberglass, which is also stronger and faster drying than plaster.

How do you assess a patient with a cast?

Ask the patient to describe any sensations in the limb with the cast. Be alert for reports of such sensations as numbness, burning, pins and needles, throbbing, and achiness. Ask him to wiggle his fingers or toes. Then move one finger or toe while he has his eyes closed and ask him what position it’s in.

Why does my skin burn under my cast?

Moisture weakens your cast and can cause the cast padding to hold that moisture (water, sweat, etc.) next to your skin. This in turn causes the skin to turn white and “wrinkly” and begin to breakdown. You may also experience a burning sensation and notice a musty smell from the cast.

How long is a broken wrist in a cast?

You may need to wear a splint for a few days, or a week, while the swelling in your wrist reduces. Our doctors then likely will place a cast on the wrist, which you should plan to wear for 6-8 weeks.

When to take care of a patient with a cast?

More NCLEX Weekly Practice Questions. Your patient is 2 hours post-op from a cast placement on the right leg. The patient has family in the room. Which action by the significant other requires you to re-educate the patient and family about cast care?

What is a NCLEX cast care review question?

This is an NCLEX cast care review question. This question provides a scenario about a patient with a cast, and you must decide which action performed by the patient’s significant other requires you to re-educate the patient and family about cast care.

How to reduce swelling after a cast is applied?

To reduce swelling: 1 Elevate the affected area. For the first 24 to 72 hours after your child’s cast is applied,… 2 Apply ice. Loosely wrap an ice pack covered in a thin towel around your child’s cast at the level… 3 Keep moving. Encourage your child to frequently move the fingers or toes of the injured limb.

What to do when your child’s cast is tight?

Swelling can cause your child’s cast to feel tight and uncomfortable. To reduce swelling: Elevate the affected area. For the first 24 to 72 hours after your child’s cast is applied, use pillows to raise the cast above the level of your child’s heart.