the cast to help avoid rough edges. This will also help to keep the cast clean and dry. Ask the doctor to give you the kind of tape you need to do this. Do not petal your child's cast if it has a Gortex liner. ‚
- Cut many strips of petaling tape. Each strip should be about 4 inches long.
- Tuck one end of the tape under the edge of your child's cast. Put it right on the cotton lining. The other end of the tape goes on the outside of the cast.
- Keep overlapping the strips until you have covered all the edges of the cast, even the diaper opening.
Your child will wear the spica cast for a number of weeks. How long will be decided by your doctor based on the reason for the cast. Once the cast is taken off, your child may have: ‚
- Skin that looks pale or slightly discolored
- Hair under the cast that grows differently
- Muscle weakness and the area may look smaller
- Joint stiffness
What changes to diet are needed?
Talk with your doctor or dietitian about what foods are best for your child. Making sure your child drinks 6 to 8 glasses of liquids each day. Offer your child fruits, veggies, and foods with lots of fiber and calcium. This will help to avoid hard stools, help with faster healing, and give your child more energy. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Compartment syndrome ¢ ˆ ’ A serious problem that happens when pressure builds because the cast is too tight. This may cause injury to nerves, blood vessels, and tissue if not corrected.
- Pressure sores
- Fracture does not heal or needs a longer time to heal
- Growth plate has been affected causing a limp or the leg does not keep growing
- Arthritis
Helpful tips
- Limit what your child drinks at night to avoid leakage into the cast.
- At bedtime, have your child lie away from the sides of the bed, or use a bed with side rails.
- Have your child wear clothing that is easy to slide up and down. Try pants with snaps or you may want to cut the sides of shorts or pants and use velcro to keep them together.
- Ask your doctor for exercises your child can do each day to keep arms and legs moving.
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you about your child. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my childs condition.
- I can tell you what may help ease my child's pain.
- I can tell you what I will do if my child has more pain, numbness, tingling, or swelling, or my child's toes are cool or blue.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons ‚
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00424 ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚