What is pin care?

Pin Care
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How can you care for your child's pin sites?

Pin care

Your doctor will give you specific information about when and how to clean your child's pin sites. The following is general information.

  1. Wash your hands with soap and water.
  2. Get your cleaning supplies ready. Your doctor will tell you what to use. These supplies usually include:
    • A cleaning solution.
    • Cups to hold the solution.
    • Cotton swabs.
    • Cotton gauze.
  3. Wash your hands again.
  4. Use your fingers to gently massage the area around the pin. This can move skin attached to the pin away from the pin and help any fluid rise to the skin, where you can clean it.
  5. Clean each pin site with cotton swabs. Use a new swab for each pin site.
    • Dip the swab in the cleaning solution.
    • Clean the pin site. Circle around the site, moving away from the pin. If there is any crust around the pin, remove it with the swab. Use as many swabs as you need until the site is clean.
    • Dry the area with a new swab.
  6. Clean the pin with a swab or gauze dipped in the cleaning solution. Pay close attention to any threaded area on the pin. Use a new swab or piece of gauze for each pin.
  7. For the first few days, wrap gauze loosely around each pin site.
  8. If your child has a fixator, use gauze or cotton swabs dipped in the cleaning solution to clean the fixator and any wires that connect it to the pins.

Other instructions

  • Your doctor will tell you when and how you can bathe your child. In general, the pin sites need to be kept dry for a while after they have been put in place. Ask your doctor if and when your child can swim while the pins are in.
  • Prop up the affected area on a pillow, if the pin is on your child's arm or leg. Try to keep it above the level of the heart. This will help reduce swelling.
  • Urge your child to be careful when moving around. Your child should try not to bump or snag the pin or fixator on anything. The doctor may give you specific instructions on what your child can and can't do.
  • Avoid clothing that pulls or rubs on the pin or fixator. If you can, have your child not wear clothing over it. Teach your child to be careful when getting dressed so that clothing doesn't catch on it.

After your child's pin placement: When to call

Call 911 anytime you think your child may need emergency care. For example, call if:

  • Your child passes out (loses consciousness).
  • Your child has chest pain, is short of breath, or coughs up blood.

Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:

  • Your child has symptoms of infection, such as:
    • Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.
    • Red streaks leading from any incision or pin site.
    • Pus draining from any incision or pin site.
    • A fever.
  • Your child has tingling, weakness, or numbness around the pin area.
  • Your child's splint, if they have one, feels too tight.
  • Your child has signs of a blood clot in the leg (called a deep vein thrombosis), such as:
    • Pain in the calf, back of the knee, thigh, or groin.
    • Swelling in the leg or groin.
    • A color change on the leg or groin. The skin may be reddish or purplish, depending on your child's usual skin color.

Watch closely for changes in your child's health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:

  • Your child has new or increased pain.
  • You notice that the pin or any part of the fixator seems loose or out of place.
  • There is bleeding around a pin site that won't stop.
  • Your child also has a splint, and there's drainage or a bad smell coming from it.

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The content above contains general health information provided by Healthwise, Incorporated, and reviewed by its medical experts. This content should not replace the advice of your healthcare provider. Not all treatments or services described are offered as services by us. For recommended treatments, please consult your healthcare provider.