Cast-saw injuries: assessing blade-to-skin contact during cast removal. Does experience or education matter?

Background: Cast-saw injuries are sustained during cast removal or splitting of a cast when a hot cast-saw blade touches the patient's skin inadvertently during cast removal. Other studies have evaluated risk factors associated with saw-blade temperature, however, none have documented the number and duration of blade-to-skin contacts during cast removal.

Methods: Using a pediatric long-arm model capable of detecting cast-saw blade contact, we tested the ability of health care providers to apply and remove casts before and after a brief education module.