Plaster fixation is a very common method of treating fractures, but there are many troubles, such as children feeling itchy or even painful in the limb where the cast is applied, which I believe many parents have encountered. Should these problems be taken seriously? What are the things that parents should focus on after their child has been in a cast? There are many kinds of plaster, the plaster is often called water plaster, which is heavier, the composition is calcium sulfate, and after mixing with water and drying, it becomes a fixed shape. After the plaster is cast, you should pay attention to avoid touching water to prevent the plaster from deformation. Now there is a new type of plaster, the composition is polyurethane, lighter than water plaster, not afraid of water, and more hygienic, but the disadvantage is that it is difficult to dismantle, and more expensive. Because the affected limb is often swollen when the fracture is put in a cast, after the swelling slowly subsides, the cast will become loose, regardless of the type of cast. And once the position of the cast will change, the fixation will not be good and the fracture end is likely to be displaced. Therefore, the most important thing after the cast is to take a film for review, in order to detect the problem as early as possible and adjust it at any time. If left unattended, the bone will grow crookedly, and it will grow firmly in about two weeks, and then it will be troublesome to deal with it. That is why it is important to take pictures every week after the fracture, so that you can make adjustments in time before the deformity heals. Pain in the affected limb and discoloration at the end of the limb after putting on the cast, be alert to osteo-fascial compartment syndrome The most serious situation is osteo-fascial compartment syndrome when the cast is loose and cannot be fixed, but when it is tied tightly, it is easy to cause pressure injury and blood circulation disorder. This is because when there is bleeding inside the fracture, it will swell and raise the internal pressure of the affected limb; and when a cast is applied, a certain pressure is exerted on the external part of the affected limb. If the external pressure is too high, it will prevent the venous blood from returning to the heart, while the arterial pressure is higher arterial blood can still enter the affected limb, resulting in a large amount of blood accumulation in the affected limb and more swelling; after a vicious cycle, the pressure inside the affected limb becomes higher and higher finally even arterial blood cannot be delivered to the affected limb, which will cause ischemia, hypoxia and necrosis, and the child will have severe pain, discoloration of the skin of the affected limb, and other manifestations, and in severe cases, even require The child will have severe pain, skin discoloration of the affected limb and other manifestations, and in serious cases, even require amputation. So, what should parents pay attention to observe? The first is pain. If the child feels pain in the affected limb after the cast is applied, he or she should be alert. But it is not necessary to go to the hospital when it hurts. It is normal to have mild pain after putting on a cast, how to determine which kind of pain is abnormal? If the child can be coaxed to sleep or still distracted to play, there is no big problem; if no coaxing works and the child does not sleep and keeps crying, there is a possibility of osteo-fascial compartment syndrome, then we should rush to the hospital and open the cast for appropriate treatment. In addition to observing whether the child is in pain or not, you should also look at the color of the end of the fractured limb, that is, the fingers or toes. If the color is black or white, there is a problem, which means the cast is too tight. Finally, you should also pay attention to whether the end of the limb in the cast is swollen and whether the movement is restricted. If the fingers and toes can still move, the color is normal, and there is no pain or swelling, there is no problem. It is normal to have itchy skin after a cast, but be wary of your child’s wrong practice to stop itching. Most of the itchy skin after a cast is not a problem because the inside of the cast cannot be cleaned, there are secretions and skin metabolites that are dirty, and the child suffers more, but it will not cause serious consequences. But parents should not take it lightly, some children itchy can not stand will think of some ways, such as taking some sharp things to stuff inside, take the pain to solve the itch, may hurt themselves. I’ve seen children stuffing batteries into casts, and over time children sweating batteries corrode and break the skin. It is true that children with fractures in casts suffer, and medicine is constantly researching alternatives to casts, such as braces and plastic plates, but the fixation is not as effective as casts. Lighter fractures can be fixed with a brace, but more serious fractures should be put in a cast for insurance. Parents are reminded to pay attention during the cast period to ensure that the cast is properly fixed, to avoid skin breakdown, and to be alert to the emergence of osteo-fascial compartment syndrome.