Waterproof Cast Care

Unlike your traditional cast with cotton padding, this cast can be submerged in water. To prevent anything growing or living inside of the cast, Gillette does not recommend swimming in natural bodies of water that contain microbes. This includes the ocean, lakes, rivers, or ponds. Pools, showers, or baths are OK. Often, submersion into water can make the cast more comfortable, and help eliminate odors or itching. When bathing, let soapy water wash through the cast, but do not squirt soap directly into the cast. Soapy water is diluted and is easier to rinse out before completing your bathing routine. Before you're done bathing, it is important to let clean water wash through the cast to remove any soap residue. You do not want soap residue sitting on the skin and drying there because it can cause skin issues and itching.

Once the cast has been rinsed and it's time to dry off, allow the water to drain out the ends of the cast. You can wrap the cast in a towel to capture excess water that will drip as the cast dries. The cast may feel wet for up to 90 minutes after bathing. You can speed up the drying process by using a shop vacuum to suck out the excess water, or a hair dryer on the cool setting to blow through the ends of the cast. Avoid using heat with the hair dryer because it can melt the cast padding or irritate the skin inside of the cast. During the winter months, a wet cast can freeze and cause frostbite to the underlying tissues. Please be mindful of this and take the appropriate precautions when going outside with a wet cast.

It is important to keep foreign material out of the cast. Avoid playgrounds, sandboxes, beaches, or any areas containing sand, woodchips, pea gravel, or recycled rubber pieces. The small debris can easily get stuck inside the cast and cause skin irritation, rashes, or sores. Please refrain from using hand sanitizer, lotions, or powders under the cast because these can cause skin irritation or rashes as well. It is OK to draw or write on the cast material with a permanent pen or marker. Other types of markers will transfer from the cast material to different surfaces and ruin them. If anything gets lodged inside the cast, please contact Telehealth Nursing right away.

For the cast to do what it is designed to do, it needs to remain intact until your scheduled date of removal. To prevent further personal injury or damage to the cast, we recommend keeping both feet on the ground. This means avoiding climbing, hanging, jumping, running, and staying off anything with wheels such as a bike, rollerblades, hoverboards, etc.

It's easy to shift the padding inside the cast, which can cause the padding to tighten, disrupt circulation, and/or cause skin issues. Do not pick at or pull things out of the cast. Do not stick anything inside of the cast, including your fingers. If the cast cracks or breaks, or the padding has gotten disrupted, it needs to be repaired or replaced, so please contact Telehealth right away.

Check daily to ensure the cast is not too tight or too loose. A cast that has become too tight could limit the blood supply to the limb or damage nerves.

• Toes and fingers in the cast should stay pink and feel warm to the touch. To test for proper blood circulation, apply pressure to the fingernail or toenail. The nail should turn pink within 5 seconds after the pressure is released. Swelling in a cast is possible. To minimize discomfort and relieve swelling during healing, elevate your arm or leg above your heart as often as possible. Apply ice wherever needed. It is possible to get frostbite in a cast by icing too long. The cast cools along with the skin, so the cooling effect will continue for a while once the ice has been removed.
• You should be able to move your fingers and toes, unless they are immobilized and/or should not be moved. There should be no numbness, tingling, or pain.
• Do not use anything to scratch under the cast. Scratching might break the skin and cause an infection, which can be further complicated by adding moisture to the area with your waterproof cast. It may also shift padding, leading to pressure sores, tourniquets, or allow for a cast saw injury to occur during removal.

Cast problems, particularly those affecting movement, sensation, and/or blood circulation in the limb are serious, because permanent damage to the limb can occur in a short period of time. Call Telehealth or your provider right away if you notice any of the following.

• Increased swelling, tingling, or numbness not resolved by elevating the limb.
• Pain that does not get better with prescribed medicine or elevation.
• Excessive irritability for no apparent reason.
• A new stain originating from inside the cast.
• Unusual or foul odors from the cast (sweat odor is normal).
• Changes in color or temperature in the toes or fingers.
• Skin irritation or rashes.
• Fingers or toes appearing to have slipped back into the cast.
• A cast feeling too tight or too loose (movement or the cast up or down).
• Cracking/breaking of the cast, allowing for movement of the limbs.
• Painful rubbing or burning inside the cast.
• Unexplained fever of 101.5 or greater.
• A foreign object inside the cast.

Please call 

Gillette Telehealth 24/7: (651) 229-3890
Toll free: 1 (800) 719-4040

Burnsville Clinic: (952) 223-3400
Maple Grove Clinic: (763) 496-6000