How do you protect your cast from getting wet when you have a cast and want to take a shower? Orthopedic surgeons teach you a good way

As an orthopedic surgeon, I often put casts on people. And people imagine is not the same as, "plaster immobilization", not just for the treatment of fracture oh!

In fact, in addition to the fracture patients in conservative treatment need to play the cast, many even after surgery, postoperative will also be assisted by cast immobilization for a period of time. In addition, children with various congenital developmental deformities, such as foot pronation, hip dysplasia, etc., also need to wear a cast for a long time in order to correct the immobilization.

The cast does not hurt.

Only those who have been in a cast will know what it is like.

Yes, as long as the cast, the doctor will be repeatedly told:

The reason why the doctor so told, there is a reason. Because, regardless of your cast with the traditional calcined plaster material, or the new fiberglass material, these casts as long as once in contact with water, the mechanical strength of the cast itself will be significantly reduced, and can no longer guarantee effective corrective fixation.

Moreover, once the plaster is wet with water, the water will be easily absorbed by the plaster and penetrate to the innermost layer, which will cause various discomforts to the patients, such as itchiness, odor, and it is difficult to be completely dry again. There will even be: local bacterial infection, maceration, ulcers, rashes and contact dermatitis.

However, no matter what the reason, as long as the cast is on, it usually has to be worn for at least a month, and in some cases up to six months. Can you imagine not showering for six months?

So, almost invariably, patients in casts, for a long time, are generally desperate enough to take a shower, under the protection of what they think is safety. As a result, orthopedic surgeons routinely encounter patients who come in for follow-up appointments because their casts are wet with water. One study [1] showed that nearly 1/3 of patients who came to the emergency room for cast-related reasons did so because their casts were wet with water.

So, is there any good way to protect casts against water that is simple, inexpensive, safe, and effective, so that cast-immobilized patients can bathe with confidence?

Below, I'll take you through what a good way is.

In 2014, Prof. Mitch McDowell's team published an article titled "Comparative Study of Various Methods of Keeping Plasters Dry" in the prestigious orthopedic journal JBJS (below).

They used rigorously designed experiments to compare the effectiveness, price, and maneuverability of several existing measures that can protect plaster from drying. Those who aren't interested can skip straight to the results and conclusions section at the end.

In their experiments, they took short-legged plaster made of fiberglass and protected it with six different methods of protection, in order:

Group A: Glad Press'n Seal wrap (below)

Experimental wrap

Group B: Rubber-band-tied Plastic bag

Rubber ring

Group C: One layer of plastic bag tightened with strong adhesive tape

Group D: Double layer of plastic bag tightened with strong adhesive tape (see below)

Group E: CVS Professional Plaster Protector (below)

Group F: Dry Corp Dry Pro Professional Plaster Waterproofing Cover (below)

After the After applying the above protection measures separately, each group of plasters was completely submerged in water for 2 minutes and then removed and weighed. Each group of 10 individual plaster samples. The amount of water absorbed by the plasters was calculated from the weights of the plasters before and after immersion in water, and was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the different protection methods. One person also evaluated the amount of money spent on the different methods and the ease of handling during the conservation process.

(1) Waterproof effect:

Various waterproof rates: among them, Group A and Group B have the worst waterproof effect, and Group D's double-layer plastic bag + strong adhesive tape binding, Group E's CVS professional gypsum protector, with Group F's Dry Corp Dry Pro half-legged waterproof gypsum cover, have the best performance in terms of waterproofing of gypsum protection.

(2) Economical Cost and Ease of Operation:

When the economic cost and ease of operation are also taken into account, it is clear that the Double Plastic Bag + Tape Bundle ($10) from Group D and the CVS Professional Plaster Protector ($13) from Group E are the better choices.

Author's Opinion:

While it's wisest to stay out of the water as much as possible, if you have to get wet, we'd recommend the Double Side Plastic Bags + Tape Seal (100% waterproof, costing $10) and the CVS Plaster Protector (100% waterproof, costing $13).

Obviously, it's hard to get CSV plaster protectors in our country, but of course, there's no need. Because the authors have figured out for us what we can get our hands on:

Double-sided plastic bag + strong tape seal

Yes, it's best to stay away from water when you're putting on a cast, and the best and safest way to do that is to resolutely stay out of the water at all. However, if a patient has to be near water or even get wet, then:

Wrap the cast in two layers of intact, unbroken plastic bags, and tighten the mouth of the plastic bags with repeated loops of duct tape, not just wrapped around the bags, but all the way down to the skin. This may be your best bet.

Of course, if your cast is too big and too long to even wrap around the plastic bag, there's not much I can do about it.

More interesting, useful and informative medical science knowledge, you are welcome to pay attention to orthopedic surgeon Lu Yao!

1.Sawyer JR, Ivie CB, Huff AL, Wheeler C, Kelly DM, Beaty JH, Canale ST. Emergency room visits by pediatric fracture patients treated with cast immobilization. J Pediatr Orthop. 2010 Apr-May;30(3):248-52.