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Plaster Room
Colchester Hospital
Tel: 01206 742 199

Instructions to Patients with Plaster of Paris and Synthetic Casts, Splints and Supports

Don’ts

• Don’t stand or press on your plaster of Paris cast for 48 hours or your synthetic cast for 30 minutes
• Don’t write on your plaster until it is dry
• Don’t get it wet
• Don’t poke anything down under your plaster
• Don’t keep your sling on longer than instructed
• Don’t cut, knock or bump your plaster
• Don’t walk on temporary casts at any time

Do’s

• Do exercise your fingers, toes, shoulder and elbow joints
• Do elevate your plastered limb, whenever possible
• Do use crutches as instructed. Please return them when no longer needed

Please telephone:
01206 742 199 during office hours or
01206 742 117 (Emergency Department) outside of office hours, if any of the following appear:

• severe pain
• marked swelling which does not reduce when you lift them up
• blueness or discoloration
• inability to move fingers/toes
• numbness or pins and needles

or if your cast:

• cracks
• softens
• becomes loose, or is otherwise uncomfortable.

Please take care of your plaster.  It takes time to apply and costs between £10 and £150.

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