Stitches-Stitching a wound closed when hospitals are not available
Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 2:42 pm
* Link Unavailable. This site is no longer active and available to view on line. But the info was good and we wanted to keep sharing it!
Original post from "NP1" at Pandemic Flu Information:
Suturing is not difficult but it is much better learned with a tutor the first couple of times.
Correct dosing and administration of antibiotics is much more difficult. Providing that the ABX will cover the bug that you are trying to kill you can usually overload the patient and the outcome will be ok. If you don't have the correct ABX the infection will not get better and might get much worse. The book " Where There is No Doctor" is an exelent resource.
Gotta go work. Kelly
http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic828.htm
http://www.bumc.bu.edu/Dept/Content.asp ... ageID=6067
"Clawdia"
I stocked up on Steristrips to use to help with wound closure, but that's about my level of competence.
I try not to forget - first, do no harm. For me to attempt to suture a wound might end up doing a great deal of unintended harm.
Then again, I can see where not suturing something that really needs it will be its own kind of 'harm'.[
"SaddleTramp"
Given the choice, Id always go with the thread and needle. For heavier sewing jobs on well-developed muscle or thick skin, you can use fine, light-weight fishing line or unwaxed dental floss. While you can get curved surgical needles from med-supply or military surplus websites, in a pinch you can use an ordinary fish-hook (not one of the fancy fly-types). It's already very sharp, curved and has an eye to run your thread thru. Sterilize by boiling, soaking in alcohol or heating to red hot. Handle with sterilized needle-nosed clamps to avoid contaminating. Practice doing the knotting in advance. It's a little tricky using the clamp to hold the needle.
If you are concerned with what the scar will look like (a facial wound, for example), you need the smallest, finest needle, the smallest, most delicate stitches, and the finest threads. Plastic surgery is an art - doable even under SIP circumstances by a talented hand-seamstress or tailor - but not considered emergency/battlefield surgery. And definitely dont try it without anesthetic. If the wound isnt too bad, you might be able to get away with butterfly bandages, superglue or some other option and still minimize the scarring.
SaddleTramp
"Greenmom"
dbg- I have an assortment of butterfly bandages, and , beleive it or not, super glue. Those two items have saved us stitches for small things- especially wounds that are small and you are trying to decide does it need a stitch or two?