Fishhook First Aide?

D

Duzzy

Joined
Sep 1, 2009
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Has anyone ever thought of keeping small fishhooks in their FAK as emergency stitches? I figure they should stay in place well enough, and if you have a large enough gash somewhere then stabbing yourself with a fishhook would be the least of your worries. Any thoughts on the idea?
 
you can get disposable medical staplers. not as small as a fish hook, but easier to use and sterile.

superglue is also an option for stuff that's not deep. so is duct tape.

and actual sutures are inexpensive and compact... but take more skill to use than a stapler.


so while fish hooks might work as a last resort there's several other options i'd want to try first.
 
fixer said:
you can get disposable medical staplers. not as small as a fish hook, but easier to use and sterile.

superglue is also an option for stuff that's not deep. so is duct tape.

and actual sutures are inexpensive and compact... but take more skill to use than a stapler.


so while fish hooks might work as a last resort there's several other options i'd want to try first.
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Huh, never heard of the staplers. I figured that enough people pack a fishing kit that it might be worth some consideration. Thanks for the info.
 
fixer said:
so while fish hooks might work as a last resort there's several other options i'd want to try first.
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Having had to cut the eye off a hook and force the point and barb on through once I agree.
 
Duzzy said:
Has anyone ever thought of keeping small fishhooks in their FAK as emergency stitches? I figure they should stay in place well enough, and if you have a large enough gash somewhere then stabbing yourself with a fishhook would be the least of your worries. Any thoughts on the idea?
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I'd rather just keep sutures in my FAK. It's really not that hard to do a good enough job to stop the bleeding. Get ahold of a few sets and practice on a sausage or something.
 
I keep a bunch of safety pins in my fak. They are multipurpose, one of which being temporary sutures.
 
You can buy little crack-and-swab ampules of medical type superglue. It's less brittle and less irritating than regular superglue, plus it's always fresh and liquid if you need it. I've used it before and was pleased with it's tenacity, though the prices don't seem too friendly.
 
Ferrousknight said:
You can buy little crack-and-swab ampules of medical type superglue. It's less brittle and less irritating than regular superglue, plus it's always fresh and liquid if you need it. I've used it before and was pleased with it's tenacity, though the prices don't seem too friendly.
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I have tried a few of those and was not impressed. The thing about those is that they don't work well if the surface is wet. The only time I can get them to work is if I can get the wound to stop bleeding long enough to clean the affected area, apply the adhesive, and then wait for it to dry. I do keep them handy because they are effective at sealing up smaller wounds once you do stop the bleeding.
 
Duzzy said:
Has anyone ever thought of keeping small fishhooks in their FAK as emergency stitches? I figure they should stay in place well enough, and if you have a large enough gash somewhere then stabbing yourself with a fishhook would be the least of your worries. Any thoughts on the idea?
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I think I see your point. If you have them then it would be viable as an emergency option rather than carrying them specifically for that purpose. But getting that eyelet through is gonna be a "pain". Then there is the sterility issue and actually being able to perform a proper suture in bad conditions. Pressure bandaging and steri-strips/Tagaderm are going to be preferred methods with tourniquets as a last resort.

My .02
 
I have surgical sutures in my FAK in my car, but have a #4 hook and 15 ft mono primarily for clothing repair along with a large straight needle (splinter removal) and 2 safety pins clear taped to a section of hack saw blade in my on body kit. It doesn't take up too much space, and could be valuable in a get home situation. I have hemostatic gauze and duct tape but nothing wrong with redundancy.. Worst case it could be used as suture, but probably better accomplished with a braided line... will be on the lookout... regards
 
Duzzy said:
Huh, never heard of the staplers. I figured that enough people pack a fishing kit that it might be worth some consideration. Thanks for the info.
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search for "medical stapler" on ebay.

there might be some other term that will get more hits... some of them are listed for veterinary use but they get used for humans too... probably just a difference in the price and liability.
 
After many years of self-doctoring more cuts than I'd like to admit, what I've found is this. On any cut, especially a deep one, you need to clean it and get the edges back together as soon as possible. To hold them that way, the best way I know is tape. It's fast, easy to apply, easy to carry and it works. Done quickly and properly even deep wounds will reconnect amazingly fast. And once you get it together, leave it that way as long as you can! If you still feel the need to use gauze, put it over the top of the tape.

The old style white adhesive tape is a waste of time. Use a real surgical-type tape. I like the 3m "Transpore". My wife brought some home from the hospital after some recent surgery to hold dressings in place and I've used nothing else ever since, it's good stuff. Alternatively, you can use duct tape or believe it or not a good cellophane tape (which has the other advantage of being see-through).

Getting it off can sometimes be a problem. Pulling the tape can tend to pull the wound open too if you're not careful. If I have the time, I'll tear off a narrow piece of tape and put it glue-to-glue in the middle of the main piece, to create a kind of butterfly-type bandage. That way the adhesive is held away from the edge of the wound and gives you a place to cut through when it's time to remove or change it.
 
glee said:
Pressure bandaging and steri-strips/Tagaderm are going to be preferred methods with tourniquets as a last resort.
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Someone has been reading and paying attention. :)

Both 3M Products are excellent, Steri-Strips and TegaDerm.
 
I have used super glue, kind stings but it worked. black electrical tape works good for me on fingers, not to tight. DON"T buy cheap bandaids. My wife and i went to the creek one day 9 years ago. we went up on the bank to eat some lunch and I was peeling an apple with a 4" Rapala fillet knife. I dropped the apple and went to catch it and stabbed my left inner thigh about an inch deep and 3/4 inch long (glad I missed the femoral artery) held a clean rag on it and we went to town and stopped at dollar general and bought some large band aids. I heeled up fine, but pulling of the cheap band aids pulled of skin and hurt more than the dang cut.


I go in for gall bladder surgery Monday, they are going to do laproscopic(sp) surgery and if all goes well they are going to glue me shut.

remain calm, control bleeding, keep it clean, and if serious have it taken care of
 
I'm not a doctor, but some people say that if you are in the field and can't get to a medical professional, you are better off cleaning the wound, stopping the bleeding and letting it heal open.

My $.02 is that this would be the best option if you haven't tried to glue (or stitch) a cut before.
 
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