Will I be allowed to use my mobile phone during hospital stay?

I’M going into hospital for an operation. Will I be allowed to use my mobile phone there?

It depends on the hospital’s policy on use of mobile phones. You can probably use your mobile phone in some areas of the hospital to make calls or send text messages.

Communication with family and friends is important when someone is in hospital and the guidance will be there to safeguard patients’ privacy and dignity and ensure that interference from mobile phones does not stop medical equipment from working properly.

Depending on your hospital’s policy, areas where mobile phone use is allowed could include: the hospital entrance or reception communal areas such as cafés and lift lobbies and non-clinical areas on wards where direct medical care is not given. Keep in mind it’s unlikely you’ll be allowed to charge your mobile phone while in hospital. I HAVE broken my leg. How do I care for my plaster cast?

Plaster casts are made up of a bandage and a hard covering (usually plaster of Paris). They usually need to stay on your arm or leg for 4-12 weeks.

Don’t get your plaster cast wet. This will weaken it and your bone will no longer be properly supported. You can use a plastic bag to cover up the cast when you have a bath or shower.

Always remove the bag as soon as you can, to avoid causing sweating, which could also damage the cast.

Even if the plaster cast makes your skin feel very itchy, don’t be tempted to poke anything under it. This could cause a sore. If you have any concerns, call NHS 24 on 111 for 24-hour advice. WHAT is an abscess?

An abscess is a painful collection of pus, usually caused by a bacterial infection.

When bacteria enter your body, your immune system sends infection-fighting white blood cells to the affected area.

As the white blood cells attack the bacteria, some nearby tissue dies, creating a hole which then fills with pus to form an abscess. The pus contains dead tissue, white blood cells and bacteria.

An abscess can develop anywhere in the body but there are two common types: skin abscesses – which develop under the skin, and internal abscesses – which develop inside the body, in an organ or in the spaces between organs A skin abscess often appears as a swollen, pus-filled lump under the surface of the skin. You may also have other symptoms of an infection, such as a high temperature and chills.

Most skin abscesses are caused by bacteria getting into a minor wound, the root of a hair or a blocked oil or sweat gland. Internal abscesses often develop as a complication of an existing condition, such as an infection elsewhere in your body.

A small skin abscess may drain naturally, or simply shrink, dry up and disappear without any treatment. Larger abscesses may need to be treated with antibiotics and sometimes the pus may need to be drained.