Patient Education / For nurses / Patient handout
Patient handout · Musculoskeletal / OrthopedicsCaring for Your Cast: Your Daily Guide
A cast holds a broken bone still while it heals. Good cast care controls swelling, protects your skin, and helps you spot problems early.
Control swelling
- For the first 24 to 72 hours, prop the cast on pillows above the level of your heart.
- Use ice over the cast as your care team tells you. Keep the ice in a sealed bag so the cast stays dry.
- Wiggle your fingers or toes often.
Keep it dry
- Cover the cast with a plastic bag or cast cover to bathe.
- Never soak it in a tub, pool, or hot tub.
- If it gets damp, dry it with a hair dryer on the cool setting.
Protect your skin
- Never put anything inside the cast to scratch.
- For itching, blow cool air from a hair dryer into the cast.
- Do not put powder or lotion inside. Do not pull out the padding.
Check your fingers or toes
- Several times a day, compare them with the other side.
- They should be pink, warm, move easily, and feel normal.
Protect the cast
- Never cut, trim, or remove the cast.
- Put weight on the limb only when your provider says.
Call your provider today if you have
- A bad smell or fluid coming from the cast
- A warm spot on the cast
- A cast that is cracked, soft, wet, or loose
- Red or sore skin at the edges
Call 911 or your local emergency number if you have
- Pain that your pain medicine does not help
- Pain when you move your fingers or toes
- Numbness, tingling, or fingers or toes you cannot move
- Pale, blue, or cold fingers or toes
- Sudden shortness of breath or chest pain
- Call 911 or go to the emergency room right away. Do not wait.
This handout supports, not replaces, advice from your own nurse or doctor.
For nurses and nursing students: the teaching guide behind this handout →