Advice: teenager just cut off their plaster cast!

[thunderbee]

That's it really. 17 year old with wrist break of both ulna and radius over 4 weeks ago, due back in trauma clinic on Thursday, has just come down stairs having hacked off their plaster cast with school scissors 'because it was annoying me'. Also after an argument so I have shrugged my shoulders outwardly and am not flying into a rage/hysteria. Is there something I should do right now in medical terms or can it wait till Thursday clinic? - as far as I can see (but they are trying to prevent me from looking) it's still a bit swollen and a bit bruised. Nothing like the mess it was when they did it though.

10 year olds heal a lot faster than 17 year olds.

Maybe not for a few weeks, so that posters don't harangue you with what they think you should have done, but I hope you update us down the line, OP, about what happened. Hope that your DD's arm turns out to be fine, too.

Hi and thanks to everyone for their advice and experiences. Called A&E last night; their advice, please don't come in unless the limb is evidently misshapen or individual in serious pain; wait till Monday morning and speak to Trauma clinic reception. So that's the current plan.

ta 4 update. I'm still curious what happens next, if you're up for sharing. I am going to guess they'll talk her into wearing another cast, after xray to make sure the bones didn't shift out of alignment.

What an abuse of NHS time and resources.

I'm glad that you're able to be seen on Monday- but now that things have calmed down- maybe advise that she volunteers some time at the hospital? She will be bumping someone out/down their spot on Monday because she decided to have a strop, and wasting resources (most likely repeat X-ray) and other potential long term ramifications of NHS funds (longer treatment, potentially theatre if they have now set wrong). 17 and stroppy should be taught that actions have consequences and a few hours volunteering for the NHS whilst wont 'repay' the care- May make her consider her actions a bit more in future.

All these people who take their own casts off! WTF? Why?!

Well she's pretty dumb, isn't she!

They're not going to know whether it needs to be re-cast unless they do an xray.
WTF was she thinking?

I broke my wrist (though not sounding as serious) in my 40s and saw different doctors at fracture clinic as you're in every week initially. One (maverick dr) said off in 4 weeks, another said 6-8 weeks. It was a bit confusing and I also had it set numerous times as the docs couldn't agree on which shape to set it. Anyway I went with 4 weeks with my persuasion and xray at hospital. And my wrist is fine. If that helps.

Seen in trauma clinic by the nurse first thing on Monday morning this week, literally 5 mins of her time, then straight to plaster room, no x-ray. In and out overall in 20 mins. Brilliantly quick and helpful, and clinic nurse quite sympathetic to teenager, who looks to have had a fungal infection under the plaster - given advice on some OTC anti-fungal powder for that.

But plaster off all together in clinic this morning, no re-xray. Seen by rugby-playing registrar who told us a story of himself having removed a cast in his 20s as he was sure his ankle was healed and he was fed up with crutches and not being able to have a bath. So not just the plebs who are at it, clearly.

Thanks all again for your input. This saga seems to have raised both genuine concerns (thank you) and p*ssed quite a lot of people off (sorry!).

I am glad everything went ok. Sorry you had rather a hard time about it.