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Broken arm in a waterproof cast???


degood

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DS broke his wrist falling down the stairs yesterday. He is two years old.

 

We are scheduled to go on a week long cruise in one week. His doctor told us that when we come back in on Tuesday that they can put a waterproof cast on it.

 

Is is really waterproof? Will he be able to go in the pool at the hotel and on the ship? Or is it just water resistant?

 

Any info you have would be great as would any hints or tips on keeping a two year old in a cast happy onboard and on an airplane that would be great too!

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If it is the real deal (not very many orthopedics have it), then it truly is waterproof. We went to Hawaii with my 7 yr old and it worked great. Of course, after 10 days in the ocean and sand, it was time to get a new one when we got home, but it worked! We only have one orthopedic guy here in the Los Angeles area that does a waterproof cast. I'm sorry that your little sweetie got hurt, especially before vacation.

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we got gortex lining on DS's last 2 casts and while I think they are MUCH better than the standard lining (my DS has broken his arms 3 times).. much less itchy and hot.... you should still be taking a blow dryer on a cool setting and blowing it dry as best you can each time it gets wet! I didn't even want to deal with that so I just put a grocery bag over DS's arm when he needed a bath. I was also told that sand was a no no. Could be super uncomfortable if a bunch of sand got all inside. So I would say sure go for a chlorinated pool here and there at a hotel but avoid the beach and sea water if you can!

 

I'm sorry your kiddo hurt himself and I hope it doesn't become a habit for him like my DS! Have a wonderful cruise.

 

Here is some info I got

 

GORE-TEX is a special material used to line spica casts. It is waterproof but “breathes” so air can pass through it. Gore-TEX can help protect the skin.

 

If your child has a Gore-TEX lined fiberglass spica cast you may bathe your child in water two or three times a week. Make sure the water is not too soapy and that you rinse your child with clean, warm water. After bathing, hold your child upright so all the water can drain out of the cast. The few drops left will dry with body heat.

 

(Children with Gor-TEX lined spica casts usually do not have problems with itching.)

 

DO NOT let your child scratch or put anything into the cast. This may cause a sore or infection.

DO NOT use powder or lotion inside the cast.

Keep your child cool. Heat and sweat can make itching worse.

Blow cool air into the cast using a blow dryer on the "cool" setting held twelve inches away. Do not use the warm or hot settings, it may cause burns.

Give Benadryl to your child for itching. You can find it at pharmacies and some stores. Follow the directions on the label.

Gently tap/knock on the cast above the area that itches.

 

you might want to see if you can find something like this

 

http://www.dontgetwet.com/xerosox.htm

http://www.waterproofcast.com/

 

~Tondi

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they are waterproof just swim and it drains, daughter just got hers off and it was great. she is 13 and showers every day, before the waterproff cast I was giving her a bath with the bag on the cast, baaad. have fun and enjoy the cast

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  • 8 months later...

Neither my husband nor I have ever had a cast (knock on wood!), but our daughter is currently wearing a Zimmer splint on her knee. It's completely immobilized as if she had a cast, except that she can remove it to bathe (and scratch!!). She's scheduled to stop wearing it about four days before our cruise. My concern is that she won't have used the knee for six weeks... how weak will it be? Are there potential issues we should know about?

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Canadian Twoesome- It's going to be weak. Let's assume she torqued her ACL, back and forth movement will be no problem. The weakness is when it comes to the side to side movements (which aren't good). Is she scheduled for Physical Therapy? I'd be surprised if she's not. They do make a type of ACE wrap for the knee that has extra support for the sides. Her Orthopedic doctor will let you know. After 6 weeks, there's no way she should be walking with that knee unprotected from a sideways jolt (if she should trip or step on a rock that throws her balance off) back to square one. But like I said, I'm not her Doctor and I don't the extent of her injuries. DO ask her doctor about it though and give him a heads up that you're going on a cruise, he'll know how active she is and what precautions need to be taken.

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Thanks Travelbugs, that's exactly the kind of thing I've been speculating about. Her ortho prescribed the splint (she has Osgood-Schlatter's) and then left the next day for a trip, so we have an appointment to see him next Wednesday and I'm going to be asking him a LOT of questions. I know she'll be scheduled for physio when we get back, but I'm most concerned about supporting the knee while we're away. I asked the sports supplier where we got the splint if he was aware of any supports that were waterproof, but he wasn't aware of any. I'm actually prepared to buy one that isn't and just throw it away at the end of the trip if it's ruined. Maybe we'll end up just taking the splint along. It's not like she's not used to it, and she's not going to be doing any running in any case. I would hate to think she could sustain a 'real' injury as a result of being treated for a common childhood condition. :(

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Good Morning all,

 

I hope to be joining you all as a family cruiser soon as my fiancee and I are getting close to our wedding day and trying for a child at the same time. However, that is not what the topic is about. I thought I might be of some help.

 

I am a Physician Assistant for an orthopedic group in Long Island and have great knowledge of the waterproof cast discussion. First of all the cast has to be of the fiberglass catagory, which most of them now adays are. If it is a plaster cast, then being waterproof it is completely out of the question. Second there are two types of waterproof material that is out there now. As people said before it is goretex, but my group has started using another. I will be able to get you guys the name by monday when I go back to my office. What makes a cast waterproof is the lining of the cast. Regular casts are ussually lined in a cotton sock and then cotton webrile. IF this gets wet it usually spells time for growth of organisms and also it has the ability to bunch up. With waterproof material is stills stays where it is suppose to be and doesn't irrate the skin, however somepeople have very sensitive skin and I do not recommend any waterproof linning for them.

 

Secondly, using a waterproof cast at a beach is totally out of the questions and asking for a problem. It is not because of the salt water it is because of the sand particles that get into the cast linning and will continue to irrate your skin days after you swim in the beach. I have seen sand in a cast that looks like they were burried in it when I have removed the cast for a patient. Salt water pools on the ships are ok because they do not have the sand particles that I stated above.

 

Another factor comes into play is that insurance companies do not reinburse for this waterproof cast material and that is why alot of offices do not care them. I know our office has the material but we charge 15 dollars per roll, usually it takes one roll for the correct linning of a cast.

 

Finally, respect the descion of your orthopedic as to if your son can and can't be put into a waterproof cast. Sometimes a patient needs more support to keep a bone from unreducing and the need to have regular linning or even a plaster cast for that. But what it sounds like is that your orthopedic has already giving you the ok to go ahead with the waterproof cast.

 

Geoffrey

 

PS, I did some research and found the other waterproof linning name. I recommend this one better that the gore-tex, we charge the same for both of them. It is called Delta-Dry#, and is from Smith & Nephew, it is easier on the skin and more like a cotton material than the Goretex that 3M puts out.

 

Here is the website for it:

http://wound.smith-nephew.com/AU/node.asp?NodeId=4556

 

Please feel free to ask any questions if you need some.

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