Jonathan Cluett, MD, is accredited by the Plastic Surgery Council. He has served as an assistant team doctor for Chivas USA (Major League Soccer) and the U.S. men's and women's national football teams.
Michael Menna of DO is accredited by the Board of Emergency Medicine. He is an attending emergency physician at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York, and also works in an emergency care center and a telemedicine company that provides care to patients across the country.
The use of plaster is a common treatment in orthopedics. Usually used to treat fractures, plasters are also useful after surgery and other situations that require fixation. Unfortunately, the plaster may start to smell bad, and the smell usually becomes very bad.
Casting smell is often the most problematic among young children and athletes. It is difficult for children to keep the plaster dry. On the other hand, athletes may not give up exercise, causing sweat to accumulate under the cast. So, what if you have a smelly actor?
Once an actor starts to smell bad, it is unlikely that it will start smelling good. Here are some ideas to help eliminate the stench of a foul-smelling cast, but the best advice is to take care of your cast as soon as possible to avoid it!
The key to odor-free plaster is moisture. If you can keep the plaster dry, there may be no odor problems. This means don't let the plaster get water in, don't let the sweat under the plaster.
There are many ways to keep the plaster dry and clean. You can use the products around the house to be creative, or you can buy specially made equipment to keep the plaster dry.
Although household items (newspapers or bread bags) are easily available and cheap, be careful because they are fragile. Many people don't realize this until it's too late and water leaks from under the bag or seeps from a crack. More durable plastic is usually the better choice.
This may not be acceptable to everyone with a cast, but if you exercise, you may sweat under the cast. This moisture promotes the growth of bacteria and fungi, which is the cause of the unpleasant smell.
If you are exercising, try to dry the plaster as soon as possible by blowing fresh air with a hair dryer under the edge of the plaster. The sooner the problem is solved, the better!
If smell is a problem, call your healthcare provider and let them know that you think you should check the cast. Sometimes the cast cannot be removed because it holds the bone in an important position. However, it is usually possible to change the cast.
In addition, in some cases, castings should be removed. Odor may be a sign of a more serious skin infection under the cast. If this is suspected, the skin should be evaluated by your healthcare provider.
Use these items to tame the smell:
These solutions may not solve your problem. If this is the case, please consult your healthcare provider to see if it is possible to obtain a new cast. There are two things you should avoid:
It never hurts to call your healthcare provider to discuss this problem, and the only solution may be to replace the cast. You can also consider waterproof plaster. Although there are sometimes costs associated with the material of the waterproof casting, it may be worthwhile to help you prevent it from smelling too unpleasant.
Treating fractures with plaster is rarely a pleasant experience. Even for young children who may be happy to get a cast, this fun will quickly disappear. One of the most problematic aspects of caring for actors is to prevent things from becoming too pungent.
He can take some measures to control the odor from the plaster. Keep the plaster as clean and dry as possible to help prevent the smell from getting too bad.
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Cleveland Clinic. Plaster and splint. Updated on April 16, 2017.
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