Alison Herron Patient X has presented at AampE with a painful left wrist sustained after a fall off a quadbike that morning The patients left distal radius is swollen and tender to the touch The patient experiences ID: 367315
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Slide1
How to apply a short arm cast
Alison HerronSlide2
Patient X has presented at A&E with a painful left wrist sustained after a fall off a quad-bike that morning. The patient’s
left distal radius
is swollen and tender to the touch. The patient experiences pain on extension of the thumb. Patient X has no diagnosed medical conditions and no known drug allergies.
Patient XSlide3
Patient XSlide4
Appropriate width Stockinette:
2
cm for paediatric patient3-5cm for adult patientFormflex paddingAppropriate width of plaster (Gipsona):5cm for paediatric patient7.5cm for adult patientFill basin with room temperature waterComfortably position the patient
Step 1: PreparationSlide5
Measure length of stockinette against length of patient’s armCut thumb hole in stockinette
Place stockinette on patient’s arm
Step 2: StockinetteSlide6
Begin wrapping the padding proximal to the fracture siteWhen wrapping, overlap the layers by 50%
Step 3: PaddingSlide7
Holding the free edge of the roll, submerge the entire roll of plaster in the bucket of water
Remove the roll and squeeze gently to remove any excess water
Roll out the plaster, starting proximal to the fracture site When plastering around the thumb, twist the roll as shownStep 4: PlasterSlide8
When starting a new roll of plaster, ensure the ends overlap in order to form a strong cast
After one layer of the cast has been plastered, tuck the excess layer of stockinette over the layer of plaster
Step 4: Plaster continued..Slide9
Repeat the plastering procedure until the entire cast has been formed from two layers of plasterUsing excess water, smooth down the surface of the plastercast
Step 4: Plastering continued..Slide10
Clean the patients skin of any residual plasterCut away any extra padding around the thumb to improve mobility
Step 5: Finishing touchesSlide11
Patient XSlide12
The Short Arm Cast has now been correctly appliedTypically, a patient will need to keep the cast on for two weeks before it will be replaced by a fibreglass cast
Patients should be advised to keep the cast dry, and to initially keep the limb elevatedSlide13
A short arm cast is usually removed after two weeksUse an oscillating saw to cut a straight line along the length of the cast
Step 6: Removing the castSlide14
Use large plaster spreaders to open out the incision made in the castOnce opened, cut the padding and stockinette with blunt ended scissors
Step 6: Removing the cast continued..Slide15
References
www.handcare2012.com/forms/Hand_Care_cast_lecture.pdf
With thanks to Andy the ‘master plasterer’