OCC Cast Removal & Bivalving Flashcards

Before cast removal, what should the technician tell the patient to reduce anxiety about the saw?

Answer: The saw vibrates but will not cut skin if used correctly

Explaining how the oscillating saw works reassures patients and encourages cooperation, which improves safety during removal.

During cast removal, the skin under a long-standing plaster cast is commonly found to be:

Answer: Dry, flaky, and possibly malodorous

Weeks of immobilization causes skin dryness, desquamation (scaling), and sometimes odor due to trapped dead skin cells and moisture.

Which protective technique is used over bony prominences when running the cast saw?

Answer: Slide a cast spreader or tongue depressor between the blade and the skin

Inserting a flat instrument between the blade and skin over bony areas protects against saw burns and lacerations.

After both medial and lateral cuts are made during bivalving, which instrument is used to separate the cast halves?

Answer: Cast spreader

A cast spreader (or cast bender) is inserted into the saw cuts to gently pry the two halves apart without stressing the extremity.

Heat generated by the oscillating saw can cause skin burns. This risk is BEST reduced by:

Answer: Using a plunging motion and limiting contact time at each point

Repeated brief contacts with the oscillating saw prevent heat accumulation; prolonged contact causes thermal burns even without laceration.

Which cast material requires the MOST caution during saw removal due to increased heat generation?

Answer: Fiberglass

Fiberglass generates more heat during sawing than plaster, increasing burn risk if the saw lingers in one position.