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Can anyone tell me if there are any guidelines regarding how long (if at all) you should retain patient casts once devices have been issued????

Thanks

Rachael.

we don't store casts, we have the patients retain them

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malpractice makes perfect

We also give the casts back to the patient - I tell the patient to keep them for around 3 years. Obviously depending on their age and foot conditions.

I once saw a pod who had a good system for keeping their casts. THey had them all filed in alphabetical order under their house, and kept the most recent casts at the front, and the remainder at the back. I think they kept the casts for about 3-5 years.

It seems like alot of work to me! Just give the responsibility to the patient! Tell them that they make good doorstops and paperweights!

I know of one orthotic lab that had a major outbreak of a fungal infection in the moisture of the cast storage area that caused an odor throughout the lab - it cost them a lot of $ to fix...

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Craig Payne
Department of Podiatry
La Trobe University
Melbourne, Australia
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/podiatry
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God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things - right now I am so far behind, I will never die.
The views expressed above are those of the author and not that of La Trobe University
This is where I am, where are you?

I would imagine that the rationale for retaining casts (either at the lab; in the clinics; or given to the patient) is based on a potential need to make a second pair (as the patient needs a second pair or the first is lost) so as to avoid the expense of taking another cast. If that is the case then the cast should be retained for the duration of time that the foot itself does not change shape. I have no idea how long that should be.

The lab I use digitizes them and keep them forever.