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Questions and Answers
What is the main purpose of using a cast or splint in orthopedics?
What is the main purpose of using a cast or splint in orthopedics?
What are the two materials commonly used to make a cast?
What are the two materials commonly used to make a cast?
What is an advantage of using fiberglass in making a cast?
What is an advantage of using fiberglass in making a cast?
What is a characteristic of a splint?
What is a characteristic of a splint?
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What is an advantage of using a splint?
What is an advantage of using a splint?
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What is a key difference between a cast and a splint?
What is a key difference between a cast and a splint?
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How is a splint typically attached to a limb?
How is a splint typically attached to a limb?
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What can be done to remove a splint?
What can be done to remove a splint?
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What is a material used to support a fracture called?
What is a material used to support a fracture called?
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What is Plaster of Paris made from?
What is Plaster of Paris made from?
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What is the advantage of commercial Plaster of Paris over indigenous Plaster of Paris?
What is the advantage of commercial Plaster of Paris over indigenous Plaster of Paris?
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What is a characteristic of Plaster of Paris?
What is a characteristic of Plaster of Paris?
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What is the purpose of a splint?
What is the purpose of a splint?
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What is an advantage of using Plaster of Paris as a splint?
What is an advantage of using Plaster of Paris as a splint?
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What is a type of splint made from a folded newspaper or cardboard?
What is a type of splint made from a folded newspaper or cardboard?
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What is a type of Plaster of Paris?
What is a type of Plaster of Paris?
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Study Notes
Principles of Splinting and Casting
- A cast is a device that completely encircles and encases a limb, used in orthopedics to hold a limb completely still while a broken bone or injured limb is healing.
Materials Used in Casting
- Fiberglass: lighter, easier to use with X-rays, but more expensive
- Plaster of Paris: heavier, cheaper, but stronger and more breathable
Types of Orthopedic Devices
- Cast: completely encircles and encases a limb, custom-made, cannot be adjusted or removed easily
- Splint: partially encircles and encases a limb, can be adjusted and removed easily, can be attached by an EMT in the field
Differences Between Casts and Splints
- Casts are custom-made, take a long time to make, and cannot be adjusted or removed easily
- Splints can be adjusted, removed easily, and can be made by an EMT in the field
Types of Splints
- Unconventional splints: improvised with materials like folded newspapers, wood, or cardboard
- Conventional splints: more sophisticated, made from thermoplastics or Plaster of Paris
- Plaster of Paris (POP) splints: the most commonly employed splints in orthopedic practice
Plaster of Paris
- A hemihydrated calcium sulphate made by heating gypsum to drive off water
- Advantages: cheap, easily available, comfortable, easy to mold, quick-setting, strong, light, easy to remove, permeable to radiography and air
- Types of POPs: Indigenous, Commercial
- Forms of Plaster of Paris: Slab, Cast, Spica, Functional cast bracelet
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Description
Understand the principles and reasons behind splinting and casting, including different types of casts for specific clinical conditions and potential complications.
