OTC Orthopaedic Technologist Certified Cast Complications and Removal 4

Question 1

A patient reports inserting a pencil inside their cast to scratch an itch and now has increased pain at that site. The FIRST priority is:

Accepted Answer

Remove the cast and inspect for skin injury

Answer

Foreign objects inside a cast can cause pressure sores or lacerations, so removing the cast to inspect the skin is the first priority.

Question 2

Thermal injury during cast removal is most commonly caused by:

Accepted Answer

Heat generated by the oscillating saw blade

Answer

The oscillating saw blade generates friction heat, which can burn the skin if held too long in one spot, especially over bony prominences.

Question 3

Which patient population requires the MOST vigilance for pressure complications during cast immobilization?

Accepted Answer

Patients with diabetes or peripheral neuropathy

Answer

Patients with diabetes or peripheral neuropathy have impaired sensation and cannot reliably detect pressure-related pain under a cast.

Question 4

After cast removal, the skin commonly appears:

Accepted Answer

Pale, scaly, and with accumulated dead skin cells

Answer

Following cast removal, the skin typically appears pale, scaly, and covered with accumulated dead cells due to lack of exposure and normal desquamation under the cast.

Question 5

A cast that becomes wet and begins to soften should be:

Accepted Answer

Replaced with a new cast after skin care

Answer

A wet, softened cast loses its structural integrity and must be removed, the skin assessed and cared for, and a new cast applied.

Orthopaedic Technologist Certified Test Practice Test

Orthopaedic Technologist Certified Test Practice Test

OTC Orthopaedic Technologist Certified Cast Complications and Removal 4