Conforming bandages are very stretchy and, as their name suggests, conform closely to the body’s contours. These bandages are ideal for securing dressings in place, particularly on limbs. These bandages are lightweight, fray-resistant and breathable. These are usually made with synthetic materials. Use cool water for larger casts when more time is needed to apply all the plaster or fiberglass, and use warm water for smaller casts or splints. Never use hot water because enough heat can be generated to burn the patient. 9 Similarly, do not place limbs with fresh casts onto plastic-covered pillows; these tend to hamper heat dispersion significantly and may result in burning. If the patient complains of burning, it is prudent to remove the cast immediately and reapply using cooler water. In many cases, a splint is applied to a fresh injury first. As swelling subsides, a full cast may replace the splint. If a cast is initially applied to your injury, it may be “valved” (cut) to allow for swelling, then repaired at your first follow-up appointment. If you’re not familiar with first aid supplies, you may be wondering: what is a crepe bandage, and how is it different from a cohesive bandage? What about conforming bandages? Here we will look at what kinds of bandage are available and which situations they are ideal for. Crepe bandages Always remove any covering as soon as you can to avoid causing sweating, which could also damage the cast.

NO! You must not drive wearing any type of cast. If you do your insurance will be invalid. How long must I wear the cast? Crepe bandages, commonly made of cotton, are a woven, elasticated bandage. Crepe bandages are ideal to support the healing of sprains and strains, as they provide good compression to injured areas, as per the PRICE method, but as they’re elastic they don’t prevent joints or muscles from flexing. Cotton also allows the skin to breathe, and these bandages are washable and reusable. Crepe bandages can also be used for dressing retention. Walking casts. Do not walk on a walking cast until it is completely dry and hard. It takes about 1 hour for fiberglass, and 2 to 3 days for plaster to become hard enough to walk on. You will be given a cast shoe to wear over your walking cast. The cast shoe will help protect the bottom of the cast.

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Keep the cast clean and dry. A hair dryer with a cool setting may be used to dry a fiberglass cast if it becomes damp. Call your doctor if the cast does not dry or if the skin under the cast becomes wet. This entirely depends on the type of injury you have. Your doctor will advise on you how long you will need to wear the cast. Should I exercise? While they aren’t as popular as they used to be, plaster casts still have some advantages. Compared to other cast types, plaster casts are:

Moisture. If you need to dry your cast, inside or out, try using your hair dryer on the cool setting. Be very careful doing this, though. The hot setting can burn the skin under the cast. Swelling due to your injury may cause pressure in your splint or cast for the first 48 to 72 hours. This may cause your injured arm or leg to feel snug or tight in the splint or cast. If you have a splint, your doctor will show you how to adjust it to accommodate the swelling. A cast might have to be replaced during the healing process if the injured area becomes less swollen and the cast gets looser. In that case, the cast might be replaced with a splint to provide more freedom of movement. What types of casts and splints are available? One of his patients after the Battle of Borodino in 1812 was an infantry officer whose arm was amputated at the shoulder. The patient was evacuated immediately following the operation and passed from Russia, through Poland and Germany. When the dressing was removed on his arrival home in France, the wound had healed. Larrey concluded that the fact that the wound had been undisturbed had facilitated healing. After the war, Larrey began stiffening bandages using camphorated alcohol, lead acetate and egg whites beaten in water. Cast dryers blow warm to hot air around a plaster cast. They are generally not necessary. An exposed cast and a fan work just as well and are safer. Cast dryers can burn skin and tend to hasten the drying time of the outer layers only.

Casting Bandage

your fingers or toes on the affected limb feel swollen, tingly, painful (even after taking painkillers) or numb