Wound care

[sagebrush]

I have been messing around with super glue. Since I sharpen my own broadheads and knives I cut myself occasionally. I also work with a razor knife in my hand all day. The other day I cut myself deeply on the heel of my hand. I couldn't get steri-strips to stick. I tried three times. Even after washing with soap and rinsing with betadine after drying. I had heard some guys used super glue. So I grabbed a tube and went to work. I opened the wound a little and filled it with glue and squeezed it together. It stuck like crazy. I had to reglue daily but it healed very fast. I have since learned that they make glue for wounds(dermabond). But they use it differently than I did. They don't put it in the wound. I have since glued three cuts with it. Works great. Now I think I will carry it while hunting. Anybody else try using this for cuts?

The dermabond stuff is expensive and you only get one use per bottle. They make some for animals called surgi-lock. It is in a bigger bottle and can glue 130 inches of wound. They just change the tip to be sterile. I may buy some of it to try. Gary

[highpoint forge]

I use both in my First Aid kit Gary. The other day I was working with my buddy who has a Landcruiser shop and does V8 conversions as a second job. My 76 is under build out there and there's lots of cuts occurring daily at that place working around metal. Well I know about dermabond from a Toyota bellhousing that had sharp casting marks on it and I sliced my thumb joint down to the tendons. I shoulda stitched it up but I waited too long.

The other day Randy cuts the bejeezus out of his hand and grabs the Superglue and wipes it over the cut. Mental note made regarding Super Glue!

One thing to keep in mind is if you seal a wound like that, you are trapping bacteria under the skin, so either flush/wash it out and glue it over, or if it's an emergency do what you gotta do...just don't start an infection.

[Bjorn]

Crazy glue equivalent is in my pack all the time.

[MP1SG]

for bad cuts duct tape, and leave it on until you get to the doctor.

[slivrslingr]

Might be wrong, but I think super glue was developed specifically for closing wounds, likely for the military.  It's found plenty of other uses as well!

[Celtic Dragon]

No, superglue wasn't designed for closing wounds, its a modern myth.

Be carefull if you are going to use it as most are slightly toxic. Also a point well worth metioning and why superglue shouldn't be used is that its an  exothermic reaction (gets hot), which is not good for skin / healing.

The other name for dermabond is liquid skin, which might prove a few cheaper alternatives.

You will note I say shouldn't be used, its unlikely you would get ill from it, but its worth considering, an alergic reaction can happen without notice or prior reaction.

I have used it for closing cuts under 1/2", but I have a very full medic kit thanks to a mate whos a paramedic.

If I was stuck in the wilderness with a heavy bleading but small wound (deep skin / tissue but no veinous or aterial damage) I would use it.

[lpcjon2]

Crazy glue is good for shallow cuts but if it is deeper than a 1/16 of an inch deep all you are doing is keeping the soft tissue's from fusing back together. Which can cause a lump under the cut when it heals on the surface.Any thing over the 1/16 deep you should apply direct pressure and elevate till the bleeding stops and then pull it together with steristrips.

[Celtic Dragon]

Sorry I forgot to add to my last post, that the dimenstions I gave are length not depth.

Also if you do try this, your only aiming at sticking the skin back together not anything else.

[crgaston]

I've used it for small cuts on my hands for years.  Make sure you wash it out with peroxide or something first.  Maybe not the best choice, but sometimes it's the best available choice.

[Zradix]

Works good for relatively shallow cuts as stated.

For deeper cuts I just use my shoelace...JK  

[adeeden]

I have used it alot (I do a little flint knapping), I have learned to leave a small area on the cut unglued though. If you glue the whole thing it swells pretty bad, leaving a little area open lets some of the pressure of when it swells so it doesn't go crazy.

[J-dog]

Usually do not stress any cut unless I cannot get it to stop bleeding. Small stuff just let bleed and be on my way if it is a cut that is really oped I use tape.
Adeeden I TRY to knap (learning) and boy have I opened myself up a few times.  
Stabbed myself in the leg last yr and used duct tape. but in the scar it is really pronounced bulge. This incident opened my eyes and made me pick up a couple packs of quick clot (potatoe starch variety) as that stab a little deeper was going to be femoral and life threatening.

I would like o get some of the glue to carry - being an EMT I have seen the dermabond in the ER but never heard of the Vet variety?? Might be more cost effective to get that stuff.
Also carry a CAT tourniquet but will never ever place it unless it is just no other recourse.

Will google surgi lock.

Good info Thanks

J

[straitera]

I've sewn cuts w/needle & thread. Can imagine a dose of SG or Dermabond would work well on exterior only. Thanks for the tip.

[canoeman]

I use it all the time in the winter to heal the cracks I get in ends of my fingers from being in the weather.  Nothing seems to repair my painful fingers faster.

[JamesV]

I seperated two of my hunting dogs that were fighting and got a nice gash in my hand for the effort. Both dogs were chewed up pretty bad so I super glued my hand and took them to the vet and paid him to super glue them.

[mcgroundstalker]

I'm kinda likin" the Duct Tape angle......  :eek:  

... mike ...

[No-sage]

My Dad always told me to just rub dirt in it and get back to work.

[mookie]

I've used it for years on small cuts also works good to glue dental floss or fishing line on one side of the cut then pull together and glue line to other side.

[highpoint forge]

Roofing nailer and nails....

[StickBowManMI]

I have also used it for gluing fingertips that break open from the dry winter air. Works great.