John Murtagh, Patient Education, Third edition, McGraw-Hill Book Company

PIaster instructions
You have had a plaster cast applied to a limb. To allow the
plaster to work properly, it is important that you:
Lie down for the next ____ hours.
Elevate the limb for the next 48 hours.
Move the fingers or toes around.
Return tomorrow or whenever advised for a plaster check.
EIevation
Arm
Have the hand raised so that it is higher than the opposite
shoulder level (if possible). The arm can be supported on a
pillow or in a sling.
Leg
Raise the foot of the bed and place the plaster cast on a
pillow or cushion. The patient can lie down or sit up, as long
as the leg is elevated.
Other usefuI tips
For a fractured leg crutches may be provided, but these are
best used after 48 hours of rest.
The plaster can take up to 2 days to dry.
You should not stand on a leg plaster before 2 days.
Contact your doctor if you notice a smell or discharge
coming from inside the plaster.
ProbIems caused by sweIIing
Sometimes the swelling around the fracture will cause the
plaster to become too tight. The patient should be brought back
to the doctor or to the emergency department of the hospital
immediately if any of the following develop:
marked swelling of the fingers or toes
blueness of the fingers or toes
loss of feeling or numbness in the fingers or toes
a tight pain not eased by elevation of the limb
inability to move the fingers or toes
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