Any of you survivalists ever stitch up your own wound?

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JTR357

JTR357

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Hi everyone,I was helping out the wife with dinner yesterday.I usually get one of my knives to do the cutting & chopping,cause I got pretty crappy kitchen knives.I was slicing up raw potatoes with my Pacific Salt,really enjoying how easily it glided right through the hard potato,when IT happened:eek:.I sliced open my thumb pretty bad.My wife was insisting on taking me to the ER,but I wasn't hearing it.I'm not gonna sit in there for 4hrs. for a couple of stitches,then get a $1000 bill a week later!!(BTW,no health insurance).After running it under cold water for a few minutes,I got a paper towel & applied a lot of pressure,while keeping it over my head for about an hour.After two hours & several paper towels later,I was still bleeding like a stuck pig.I was determined to fix this myself.I tried butterflys,but they wouldn't stick,because of...well all the damn blood:rolleyes:Finally after the third hour the bleeding slowed enough so I could check out the damage.I poured some peroxide on it,dried it off,put on a dab of neosporin & wrapped it with gauze.I got up this morning to change the dressing & it's still pretty wide open with a bunch a meat sticking out.It's gonna take awhile to heal,but there's no nerve damage or cut tendons.Should be fine.;)
I tell you though,if I couldn't get this gash to stop bleeding I was gonna sew it up myself.I've gotten a lot of stitches before & I watched them do it everytime.I was really eyeing the sewing kit.It doesn't look too difficult.I have a pretty high tolerance to pain IMO.I'd probably ice it up some to numb it a bit,sterilize the needle,then stitch away:)I'm just not sure what type of knots they(doctors) use.
So,have any of you guys ever stitched yourself up..ala Rambo First Blood style,either at home or in the bush?Can you use regular thread?Plus I noticed most first aid kits & books don't have or explain it at all.Why is that?It's not rocket science:rolleyes:

Thanks in advance for any helpful input & interesting experiences you share:)

Sorry to post & run,but it's nearly 3am & I gotta get some sleep.I'll be back in around 5 or 6 hrs.Goodnight:yawn:
 
I've done it a few times, but I learned how in the army.

fingers are too important to meddle much with and since you are asking if it is ok the answer would be NO.

Taping or gluing would be better. Befriending a nurse would be the best:D

Sverre
 
i would be looking at something like glue (if i really had to)... but something like your fingers i would get a doc to do it.
 
Yeh I have heard about that superglue thing. Is it just normal superglue? I heard that the old super glue was fine but there was a chemical in new super glue that made it unsuitable. Anyone know for sure?
 
Came close but managed to close the wounds thru other means.

I do keep a suture kit in my blow-out bag as well as duct tape, Isreali bandages and Quick Clot.

If you plan on doing it in the future, you really should buy a suture kit. Believe me that you want a curved needle rather than use a straight needle for poking holes in yourself or anyone else in an emergency.
 
Go to a regular doctor, take the financial hit, and take some out door first aid classes and by a few books and learn more on your own. You can buy surgical kits fairly easily, but like anything else, it takes a little practice to do anything well or smartly.
 
Irezumi said:
Yeh I have heard about that superglue thing. Is it just normal superglue? I heard that the old super glue was fine but there was a chemical in new super glue that made it unsuitable. Anyone know for sure?
Click to expand...

I use standard Crazy Glue all the time and have for many years now. Crazy Glue now makes Single Use Tubes which are very handy. I keep them in my med kit...
KG582.gif

There's also the product Nu-Skin, it is similar to nail polish, but I find that the Crazy Glue holds up much better, particularly if I'm active (sweating that is).

Just remember, it can save you some stitches, but sometimes you need to see a doctor, if in doubt, err on the side of caution...
 
without sterile equipment you are looking at a serious posibly debilitating infection.

alex
 
Yes but it should only be done if there is no other way. You can do more harm than good.
 
Cuts that require stitches need to be stitched within a few hours to make sure the wound edges are fresh and will adhere together. The longer the wound is open the better chance for bacteria to enter.

The rule of thumb is if you are in a situation where you can not reach medical help in the next 4 to 6 hours you must deal with it yourself. Control the bleeding. Clean the wound as well as your can and close it. I am a big fan of using tape to butterfly wound together. If done well you can forgo stitches. If you fail to keep the wound closed with tape or glue a needle and suture or thread is the next best step. Be sure to boil the needle and thread unless they are sterile already.

Seek medical attention when you get out.
 
Thanks for all the helpfull advice guys:thumbup:

alco141,I would always use sterile equipment.I've seen some really nasty infections from not doing so.

Bumppo,That's a good idea about the "outdoor first aid classes".I'll look into that,but don't like to go to the ER unless I feel like I'm dying.It's not just about the $$

akivory,Thanks for the cool link about the super glue..whooda thunk it??:D

other good suggestions...quick clot,suture kit,nu-skin,curved needles,boiling thread & needle, & by NoFair..Taping or gluing would be better. Befriending a nurse would be the best:Dgood one:thumbup:unfourtunately I don't know any nurses,so I probably won't be camping with one.I usually hunt alone.
Also really good tips by riddleofsteel:thumbup:

Thanks again.I think I'm gonna opt for the outdoor first aid class.
You guys are great:thumbup:;)

BTW,If I cut a tendon(which I have in the past) or thought there might be nerve damage,I would've went to the ER.In no way am I trying to trivialize what they do.I just felt this particular wound didn't warrant another unpleasant visit to the ER.The hospitals where I live are so over crowded & understaffed.
 
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A couple of weeks ago I was chopping light wood with my Fiskars hatchet. I wasn't paying enough attention and hit my finger.

It bleeded like crazy and the top was almost loose. Given the fact that I wasn't in my own country I didn't want to go to the hospital.

I always carry multiple tubes of secondglue (I think it's called superglue in English indeed) in both my rucksack (psk) and car-medical-box. I cleaned the wound, and put a lot of that glue on it. Next week it hurted quite a lot (but that wasn't caused by the glue I think), but now it healed well.

So +1 for the superglue.

By the way, make sure it's glue based on Cyanoacrylate.

This glue was also used by medics on soldiers in the Vietnam War.

Wikipedia :

Medical uses

The use of cyanoacrylate glues in medicine was considered fairly early on. Eastman Kodak and Ethicon began studying whether the glues could be used to hold human tissue together after surgery. In 1964, Eastman submitted an application to use cyanoacrylate glues to seal wounds to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Soon afterward Dr. Harry Coover's glue did find use in Vietnam—reportedly in 1966, cyanoacrylates were tested on-site by a specially trained surgical team, with impressive results. In an interview with Dr. Coover by the Kingsport Times-News, Coover said that the compound demonstrated an excellent capacity to stop bleeding, and during the Vietnam War, he developed disposable cyanoacrylate sprays for use in the battlefield.
“ If somebody had a chest wound or open wound that was bleeding, the biggest problem they had was stopping the bleeding so they could get the patient back to the hospital. And the consequence was—many of them bled to death. So the medics used the spray, stopped the bleeding, and were able to get the wounded back to the base hospital. And many, many lives were saved. "
 
I don't stich, but I do most of my own first aid.

First, stop the bleeding. Use a comopression bandage if you have to. Dab some neosporin on it and wrap it tight.
Second DISINFECT IT. Wash it, apply peroxide, betadine, etc.
If it's a big cut (i.e. needs stiches, I'll pack a little neosproin, or if I have it, prescription antibiotic in it, close the wound and superglue closed. I've yet to have a scar.
 
When I was fixing cars, I got bit by the cutting wheel or sliced by sheet steel a number of times , if the cut was dirty , Id wash it and wrap it in masking tape to stop it leaking , then get back to work . sometimes I had to change the tape dressing several times during the day because the wound was wet and the tape kept falling off .

When I was working on electrical stuff , I got a couple big cuts , I used electricians tape on them , good stuff , you can get good pressure onto a cut with it and its easy enough to change when it begins to hurt ...

when I changed career again , to heavy labouring , I got way less cuts but crushes were the go ... the cuts were dealt with using heavy duty cloth reinforced tape there ... as was just about everything else ... a guy on our crew fractured his ankle , other guys walked out on bigger injuries but he was a sook about it , so he got some first aid , splints gaffer taped to his hairy legs , from hip to toe . the nurse on the flying doctor reckoned he made more noise about having his tape removed than his ankle .

I use electricians tape and super glue if its on hand before stiching myself up

the only time I realy regret not a real doc stich me up was when I stacked my bike , bit dirt and peeled my lip off my jawbone some , it healed OK but my chin isnt as attached to my jawbone as it should be ... peas and stuff get stuck down there at times and its not the most graceful thing to to be doing in public to get them out .

I am primitive when it comes to disinfecting cuts tho , salt water , peroxide , or ichthamol ointment or "black ointment" does a pretty good job for me , I really hate infections .
 
I've had a few cuts that were borderline, but keeping it closed with butterflies and an antibiotic barrier did the trick - polysporin's great stuff ! Medical care here isn't a financial issue, so whether to get it stitched is a no-brainer most of the time. I can imagine how a big bill would keep someone away though

My thought is that you're better of to be able to clean it/check it regularly than to seal it up with superglue because you can never be sure you got it thoroughly disinfected. That's especially true for field dressed wounds, but again it's just my (unprofessional) opinion.

Tetanus booster up to date ?

One question for the superglue fans: if it works so well, why does it seem that surgeons prefer staples and stitches for closing incisions ? Not trolling, honest question...
 
super glue works,as does stitching yourself but it really becomes a case of risk vs benefit, or life vs. limb... If there is a chance you are going to bleed out out or lose enough blood to be weakened to the point if helplessness, than maybe I would risk it but It is extremely rare for a situation like that to arise from a cut hand...THe hand is laiden with sensory and motor nerves and hands are also pretty dirty in comparison to the rest of the body, While it might save some $$ up front If you end up with a decreased or compromised range of motion or a bad staph infection it could end up costing alot more in the longrun...just my 2 cents ...I picked up a guy a few years ago who tried to treat a nasty laceration to his foot by taping it with duct tape ...Took me about 15 minutes to get all the maggots out of the cut before I could get a proper look at things. That's an extreme situation. but seemed relevant. I hate hospitals. and I think there are alot of doctors out there that should perhaps be doing something else..but if you can find a good one who knows his/her stuff than it is a relationship worth building. Well that was the longest post I've made in a while..Thanks for listening
 
DeadeyeLefty said:
One question for the superglue fans: if it works so well, why does it seem that surgeons prefer staples and stitches for closing incisions ? Not trolling, honest question...
Click to expand...

Depends on the surgeon. I've seen them do both. The first time, I thought my daughter was going to get a stitch or two - cut was next to her eye (ran into the side of a door and smashed her glasses into her face), surgeon said, "This is medical crazy glue, we call it 'adhesive suture', and she's less likely to get a scar this way." I could have just put a bandaid on it, honestly, but I didn't want my little girl to get a scar on her face. Of course, she managed to bust her face again at Christmas, and has a scar right through an eyebrow. Real sutures, that time.

I'm from one of those families where there was enough accidental trauma growing up, that I can tell if I need medical attention or not, if my kids need medical attention or not, by assessing the injury. And I worked in a hospital for some time as a nurse's assistant, so that helps me out a bit.

I'm not above using the superglue, and probably will use it more in the future after I get some medical grade stuff. Usually just use butterflies, though.
 
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