Super Glue

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kevin tordoff

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i no this might not seem a good idea but super glue is good for patching wounds. We often get asked, especially on our Remote First Aid courses, if you can use Super Glue to close cuts? Yes it is perfectly possible to close wounds with glue but there is the the legitimate clinical method and the 'have-a-go-Harry' approach with whatever Superglue comes to hand. And there are subtle differences.

When treating our own injuries we take responsibility for our own actions. When we are treating other people we have a Duty of Care to treat appropriately and cause no further harm or face the serious consequences of litigation. For this reason we would not suggest that glue is used to treat casualties where you are in a position of responsibility be it your role within your workplace or providing opportunistic care for a casualty to have come across.

You may still be inclined to use glue to treat yourself or maybe your trusted climbing partner, in which case, read on:

All Super Glues are not the same.

"Super Glue" or Cyanoacrylate (CA) is an acrylic resin which rapidly polymerises in the presence of water. The principle component of commercial CAs (SuperGlue, Krazy Glue, Loctite) is either methy-2-cyanoacrylate or ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate, the original forms of CA developed in 1942 by Kodak Laboratories. (The discovery was made whilst investigating potential, high clarity, acrylics for the use in gun sights. Whilst not suitable for this application CA was quickly identified as a fast acting, low shear strength adhesive.)

During the Vietnam war it was used in field surgery with good effect, however, despite the promising results it was not approved by the Unites States Food and Drug Administration due to the unknown toxicity and two significant side effects during the polymerization process:

  1. The curing process creates an exothermic reaction (heat) which can cause further tissue damage.
  2. The process releases cyanoacetate and formaldehyde - both irritants to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs.


Medical Glue

To overcome these harmful issues, new CAs were developed with the express purpose of use in surgery. 2-octyl cyanoacrylate (Derma+flex® QS™, SurgiSeal, FloraSeal and Dermabond) causes less skin irritation and increased flexibility and strength compared to traditional 'Super Glue'. In 1998 the US FDA approved 2-octyl cyanoacrylate for the closure of wounds and surgical incision and in 2001 was approved as "barrier against common bacterial microbes including certain staphylococci, pseudomonads, and Escherichia coli".

n-butyl cyanoacrylate wound adhesives are available under the trade names: LiquiBand®, Histoacryl, Indermil, GluStitch, GluShield,and Periacryl (dental adhesive)

Octyl ester, while providing a weaker bond, are more flexible. Butyl esters provide stronger bond, but are rigid.

A cheaper alternative...Veterinary Glues

If you are looking for something for your personal first aid kit and don't fancy spending £120 on 6 x 5ml vials of Derma Bond, veterinary glues are commercially available as a happy compromise; not licensed for use on humans but essentially the same stuff in a different wrapper.
2-octyl cyanoacrylate Surgi-Lock and Nexaband
n-butyl cyanoacrylate VetGlu, Vetbond and LiquiVet


Here are some videos:

SurgiSeal

derma-flex

Contraindications

Wound adhesives are generally only used on minor wounds, no more than 5cm and with straight edges. Do not attempt to use glue on the following:

  • wounds on the face
  • wounds where the skin flexes or over joints
  • wounds with uneven or jagged edges
  • deep wounds
  • wounds that are bleeding
  • infected wounds
  • animal bites
  • puncture wounds
  • ulcers
  • dirty wounds


This last point is critical in a remote or industrial environment since most wounds encountered will typically be dirty in which case it is almost always preferable to clean the wound and pack it 'open' with Vaseline soaked dressings (Tulle Gras) or saline soaked dressings to prevent the wound drying out. The wound can then be properly cleaned and closed (if appropriate) in a hospital setting later on.

Conclusion

Using glue to close wounds may have been pioneered 50 years ago and continually perfected clinically ever since as well as an established treatment for climbers, string musicians and garage mechanics around the world...but that doesn't mean it is a panacea.
Given the number of limitations in its use and the issues of liability we would not advise glue is used to treat others. If you choose to use it to treat yourself, do so...with care and full understanding.

hope this helps i copied it from a web site called real first aid
 
Great post! That is a great idea. Would be great to lighten the load of my bob
 
only use in extreme circumstances thou i heard this but wasnt sure if true so had to google it
 
Let me start out by saying... I don't recommend the use of superglue or any thing or any process not endorsed by the American Medical Association, The American Association of Trial Lawyers, the Federal Drug Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, or any other organization out there. Don't do this at home! This was preformed by trained professionals on a closed course. Keep your arms and hands inside the vehicle at all time. And lastly, remember the contents of McDonald's hot coffee is hot.

I used it on myself back in 1986. I cut my knee wide open water skiing and the doctor refused to give me a firm price for sewing me up. He wanted to do it and then charge me... so I super glued it closed myself. And a few years ago I used it on my son (age 6)... he cut his heel open on a shell... so I super glue it shut. The good thing with his was it was on the pad which was really thick. I cleaned the cut out well, pressed it together, ran a thick bead of super glue on top of the cut, then I took a tooth pick and quickly spread the glue around it a bit (I was VERY careful not to do this slowly because I didn't want a toothpick glued to his foot). When I did this I opened the wound just a bit and let some of the glue in a bit. Mind you the heel was very thick so this was very easy to glue and I figured stitching it would have been more invasive. Also my son begged me to do it because he had 3 more days of surf camp left (I'm sure the doctor would have told him to stay out of the water if he had stitched it). I glued it and it held like a champ.

If you were to look in my First Aid kit, you would find Superglue.
 
I have superglued hundreds of cuts, on me, my sons, my wife, my brothers, my neices, and nephews. I have even used it after I put stitches in family, so they can just go back to work, and be able to keep it clean.
thing about super glue is it isnt permenant, on clean skin you really only have about 16 hrs or so before the skin under it begins to reject it.
skin cells are always dying off, also if you are sweating, if the location is in a flex point.
but it stays there long enough for the body to start mending itself, or it can be redone.
We have superglue in every truck, and car. my wife keeps some in her purse.
It is a very reliable asset, but......................

In some cases it does not replace the need for stitches, which can be bought online all day long. You just need to be the judge on what you can and cant handle, sometimes i will use a few stitches to hold it shut then glue, other times just use butterfies and no glue or stiches either one.
There has only been 2 incidences that my boys have had to go to hospital for stitches, It was not SHTF, and these cuts were beyond my level of confidence. one was extremely deep and we needed x rays too.
 
Super glue was one of the first purchases I made when buying med kit stuff. working in many factorys and with many knives, I've had my fair share of cuts that I didn't have time to tend to, so I would glue em shut. My word of caution/advice: DO NOT...i repeat...DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPLY ANY SORT OF BANDAGE OR CLOTH OR TISSUE/COTTON over the wound until the glue is 200 % dry....when these items make contact with super glue and your skin it is VERY HOT reaction and it burns like you couldn't believe!!!! Other than that, I love it in a pinch!
 
I also remembered that I have used clear nailpolish as a temp bandage in a pinch...it burns and takes longer to dry but its a little less toxic lol def works if you don't have anything else...also works wonders when you get a run in your pantyhose...cuz we all know how important those are if shtf LMAO
 
I also remembered that I have used clear nailpolish as a temp bandage in a pinch...it burns and takes longer to dry but its a little less toxic lol def works if you don't have anything else...also works wonders when you get a run in your pantyhose...cuz we all know how important those are if shtf LMAO

I will not confirm nor deny that I have worn pantyhose, but I know in the country in the winter, I have heard many hunters talking about wearing them instead of regular long johns, :rolleyes: so they dont get "too warm" and sweat thier crotches off. :( Everyone knows how important it is not to sweat in the cold while moving, because when you stop moving, and stop to hunt, sweaty clothes get cold. SHTF pantyhose are a must have, they have many uses other than being panty hose.
 
i never thought about that, but yea they do offer some warmth with also allowing for breathability! I had to explain the whole sweating thing to my kids the other day cuz they were running around all crazy out in the cold and getting sweaty cuz they were bundled up. Pantyhose could be used for filtering I would think...and for storage in a pinch...steeping teas or making spice packs for broth/food seasonings...used as a weapon when filled with rocks or bearings for children maybe, I also know that you can put fruits and berries in them for small infants/babies to chew and suck on so that they don't choke or swallow seeds or too big of bites. I am sure that I am missing some uses...my mind is flittering between sleep and prep lol
 
I will not confirm nor deny that I have worn pantyhose, but I know in the country in the winter, I have heard many hunters talking about wearing them instead of regular long johns, :rolleyes: so they dont get "too warm" and sweat thier crotches off. :( Everyone knows how important it is not to sweat in the cold while moving, because when you stop moving, and stop to hunt, sweaty clothes get cold. SHTF pantyhose are a must have, they have many uses other than being panty hose.
like a strainer bag ! That's some old school painter stuff there !!
 
a lot of horse riders use pantyhose to keep them from getting chafed also these been plenty of men that use pantyhose.
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Oh my God I am soooooo glad to see this here!!! Superglue is GREAT for cuts and lacerations but you NEVER hear anyone to pack it as part of your first aid kit!!

Granted, I kind of went extreme with my medical kit (notice I didn't say first aid kit) and I have everything from band-aids, to burn cream, to a suture kit, to enough implemnts to do open heart surgery (well at least until they bled out). I am OCD when it comes to being prepared for stuff that might come up. I don't have the KNOWLEDGE to use all that stuff, but I do have it in case I run across someone who does.
 
We have both superglue and a vet grade glue. We also have suture and drain supplies as well.
 

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