The nurse provides teaching for the family of a 5-year-old patient who has a one-and-a-half hip spica cast. Which of the following recommendations should the nurse include in patient teach-ing?

Question

a. The patient can sit in a chair with a dry cast if propped carefully.
b. Large casts dry from the outside to the inside.
c. Several people are needed to safely turn and move the patient.
d. Turn and position the patient with the ab-duction bar.

Answer 1

C
The nurse instructs the patient's family to involve several people when turning or moving the patient to prevent injury and maintain cast integrity because the combined weight of the patient and cast material can make the patient too awkward and heavy for one person to handle safely. Patients are unable to sit in a hip spica cast because the hip and legs are casted in straight align-ment. Casts dry from the inside to the outside. The nurse instructs the family to avoid using the abduction bar for turning because the bar is designed to maintain leg position. Turning or posi-tioning with the bar increases the risk of damaging the integrity of the cast and causing patient injury.