To ask your tips on getting rid of the smell from an arm cast

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DD broke her wrist 3.5 weeks ago so due to get her cast off a week on Thursday but it absolutely stinks!!

Anyone any suggestions on how we could get rid of or minimise the smell?

air freshener, deodorant spray? Can't see you can do anything else.

I wouldn’t advocate spraying anything into or onto the cast. If you spray something into the cast, it could irritate her skin, and if the skin broke down, it could get infected, and spraying something onto the cast might damage it.

If there is a scent or scented lotion you know she is OK with, you could put some on her hand and arm, above and below the cast. Sadly, I don’t think there is much you can do about the smell from th cast, as it is due to sweat and dead skin cells in there - sorry.

No previous experience but bicarbonate of soda absorbs smells and I'd use this in anything from fridges to trainers. I'd try sprinkling some over the cast. Maybe inside too and then shake it out? It's worth a try.

Thanks for your replies.

Yea I don’t want to spray anything into it as she does have eczema (not bad but it flares up sometimes)

It’s a shame as she’s really self conscious about the smell.

I’ll try the bicarbonate of soda - thanks!

Yes I was going to say bicarbonate, put some in a carrier bag and tape it round her arm above the cast. Leaving it overnight would be best if possible.

Don't do what I did and spray a load of perfume into it. Skin was very dry and Krispy when the cast came off 🤮

Could there possibly be a wound underneath the cast which is causing the odour? I've seen pressure ulcers from the cast many times.

If it smells really offensive I would probably get it checked incase it there is a wound under there. They might be able. To change the cast if it's that bad.

Yeah, I agree with the others - get it checked out. It might have become too wet to be effective any more and needs to be replaced for the last couple of weeks - or she's got an infected patch of eczema in there.

There’s a spray you can buy I think.
Make sure it’s dry underneath. Use a hairdryer on cool.

I used a make up brush to scratch underneath and that helped with the dead skin build up (was v soft and I was v careful but I do know it’s not advisable really).

Definitely get it checked. The smell shouldn't be that bad so I'm wondering if there is an infection. They will happily check and change the cast to be safe rather than leave it so don't worry about asking for it to be changed xx

DS had that. Go back and they will most likely replace it.

My cast stank my skin was completely scaled and had gone hairy too soon went back to normal and hair fell away. However if its really bad it is worth a check

We rubbed a dryer sheet over the hand area a bit which sort of helped.

We also put fresh medical tape on the bit around the fingers and thumb every day to freshen it up a bit.

Wasn't too bad. If it's really bad do go back if you can. It's hard to get an appointment though I found

flurgle I used a fork...

Do not use a hairdryer at all - it heats the plaster and can burn her underneath. Do not sprinkle anything into a cast - you can cause microabrasions which can get infected.

If it is terrible then contact the plaster room in the fracture clinic (they should have given you a leaflet when the POP was applied with direct contact details on it. How old is she? For young patients a “soft cast” can be applied that is rigid enough to maintain fracture position but can get wet (its not strong enough for older kids/adults).

If she had a manipulation and plaster applied they may be reluctant to change it at all unless, as a pp said, it is weak in points as it got wet.

Maybe a little bit of baby powder? It's gentle enough on skin. I know there are some health scares surrounding it but if you're not using loads and doing it in a well ventilated space it should be fine. Good luck.

what is the smell like, is it foul or does it smell like gravy? If it smells genuinely rancid i would get it checked out in case of a wound underneath. If its just that dreaded gravy smell its just a bit of a waiting game!

I broke my wrist as a child, and while it whiffed a bit once off, it definitely did NOT stink in the way that you describe.

Get it checked out.

Op if the smell is really bad best get it checked out, when I was younger I had a cast on my wrist. I also have psoriasis and what had happened was an open sore got infected with cellulitis (skin infection). Maybe TMI but does your daughters cast smell like gone off meat? Rancid?

The fracture clinic said that wounds and infection under casts are really common in patients who have an underlying skin problem like psoriasis or eczema.

I wouldn't put bicarb in the cast - it's an abrasive and might irritate the skin. Putting anything in the cast won't get rid of the source of the smell but might cause skin problems. It's just not worth the risk.

Definitely get it checked. Such a strong smell is not normal.

I remember having a plaster cast on upto my knee and when it came off I looked like a gibbon my leg was so hairy and bloody itchy with loads of dry skin