Discharge Instructions: Pin Care

You are going home with pins in your body. These pins are holding a broken or dislocated bone in place. Here’s what you need to know about home care.

You have a broken or dislocated ___________________ bone.

This bone is in your ____________. You have _________ pins in your body.

The pins are in these places: ______________________________________.

General guidelines

• Clean the skin around the pins as often as instructed by your doctor.

• Don’t use creams, lotions, or antiseptics unless your doctor says it’s OK.

Prepare your supplies

• Set up these supplies on a clean, dry surface:

  • Gauze pads or cotton swabs.

  • Sterile solution. This might be regular saline or a mixture of saline and hydrogen peroxide. Your doctor will tell you more.

• Peel open the gauze package or set aside some cotton swabs.

• Pour the solution into a bowl. Pour enough to cover the bottom of a small salad or soup bowl.

Clean your pins

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 15 seconds before cleaning your pins.

• Dip the gauze pads or cotton swabs in the bowl of solution.

• Squeeze extra solution from the gauze and open the pad.

• Clean around each pin site using the soaked gauze pad or cotton swab. Gently press down on the skin, while wiping around and away from each pin.

• Remove any crust at the pin site. Use a new gauze pad or cotton swab each time you wipe.

• Use a new gauze pad or cotton swab to clean each pin site.

• Throw away used gauze pads and cotton swabs into a waterproof waste bag.

• Wash your hands after you have finished cleaning your pins.

When to call your healthcare provider

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these:

• Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or as advised

• Shaking chills

• Redness, swelling, or pain at the pin sites

• Green or yellow fluid or bad smell from the pin sites

• Pins that move or shift, or clicking noises from the pins

• Open skin around the pin sites

• Tingling or numbness in the injured limb

• Increased pain or motion at the fracture site