Stitches-Stitching a wound closed when hospitals are not available

Treating Bleeding, Open Wounds
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Readymom
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Stitches-Stitching a wound closed when hospitals are not available

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* 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 This site is no longer active and available to view on line.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!

:arrow: 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

:arrow:"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'.[

:arrow: "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

:arrow: "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?
Readymom
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Re: Stitching a wound closed when hospitals are not availabl

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Stitching a Wound Closed-VIDEO

Hat Tip: Image to PatriotNC over at SHQ

Disclaimer: Necessary Disclaimer - This Video Is For Entertainment Purposes Only!!! If you get injured, seek qualified medical assistance immediately. Do not try this at home. Doc shows how to suture a wound which might occur in a "worst case scenario".

How To Suture (Part 1 of 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkkLWawlgis#

How To Suture (Part 2 of 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNh93ZMZqu0#
Readymom
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Re: Stitching a wound closed when hospitals are not availabl

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FREE Download Book

Practical Plastic Surgery for Nonsurgeons
Practical Plastic Surgery for Nonsurgeons was written to bring plastic surgical expertise to areas with little access to plastic surgeons. Please feel free to download/print as much of the book as you desire. And please, tell others about this site!

To purchase a hard copy of the book, click here.

To download the entire book, click here.

To download an individual chapter Go HERE to click on individual chapter links that are listed below:

  • Chapter 1 – Suturing: The Basics
    Chapter 2 – Basic Surgical Techniques
    Chapter 3 – Local Anesthesia
    Chapter 4 – Protecting Yourself from Infectious Diseases
    Chapter 5 – Evaluation of the Acutely Injured Patient
    Chapter 6 – Evaluation of an Acute Wound
    Chapter 7 – Gunshot Wounds
    Chapter 8 – Nutrition
    Chapter 9 – Taking Care of Wounds
    Chapter 10 – Secondary Wound Closure
    Chapter 11 – Primary Wound Closure
    Chapter 12 – Skin Grafts
    Chapter 13 – Local Flaps
    Chapter 14 – Distant Flaps
    Chapter 15 – Scar Formation
    Chapter 16 – Facial Lacerations
    Chapter 17 – Pressure Sores
    Chapter 18 – Chronic Wounds
    Chapter 19 – Soft Tissue Infections
    Chapter 20 – Burns
    Chapter 21 – Fractures of the Tibia and Fibula
    Chapter 22 – Skin Cancer
    Chapter 23 – Cleft Lip/Palate
    Chapter 24 – Breast Surgery
    Chapter 25 – Facial Fractures
    Chapter 26 – The Normal Hand Exam
    Chapter 27 – Evaluating the Injured Hand
    Chapter 28 – Hand Splinting and General Aftercare
    Chapter 29 – Fingertip and Nail Bed Injuries
    Chapter 30 – Finger Fractures and Dislocations
    Chapter 31 – Traumatic Hand and Finger Amputations
    Chapter 32 – Tendon Injuries of the Hand
    Chapter 33 – Nerve and Vascular Injuries of the Hand
    Chapter 34 – Hand Burns
    Chapter 35 – Hand Crush Injury and Compartment Syndrome
    Chapter 36 – Hand Infections: General Information
    Chapter 37 – Specific Types of Hand Infections
    Chapter 38 – Chronic Hand Conditions
    Chapter 39 – Exploration of an Injured Hand or Forearm
    Index
Readymom
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Re: Stitching a wound closed when hospitals are not availabl

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Suture a Wound

Image

How to Suture a Wound
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-suture-a-wound/

You’re staying in a cabin with some friends and family in the remote wilderness far from civilization. It’s quiet. Pristine. Life is good.

One morning while your buddy is splitting wood, his maul glances off the log and cuts into his leg, leaving a large gash. While the wound is large and deep, the maul didn’t hit an artery or large vein, so there isn’t a risk of him bleeding out. You get him back to the cabin to take a closer look and clean it out.

While the bleeding has stopped, there’s still a giant, gaping wound in your friend’s leg. It needs to be closed up to reduce the chance of infection and so the wound can start healing properly. You try a butterfly bandage, but it’s not keeping the wound together. It’s clear your buddy needs stitches, but the nearest doctor is a day’s trip away. Luckily, you have a suturing kit in your first aid supplies, and you know how to sew him up yourself. ---CONTINUED at LINK, above---
Readymom
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Re: Stitching a wound closed when hospitals are not availabl

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FastMed
Go to Link for full size image:

Do I Need Stitches?
https://www.fastmed.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/do-i-need-stitches-infographic.png

Do I Need Stitches?
If you answer yes to any of these questions, you need to come into FastMed as soon as possible. Most clean cuts can wait up to 24 hours, for treatment, but cuts that need stitches should be treated within 8 hours.
Readymom
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Re: Stitching a wound closed when hospitals are not availabl

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Hat Tip to "The Medical Survivalist" for the link!

Penn Medicine

Wound Closure Manual
http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/surgery/Education/facilities/measey/Wound_Closure_Manual.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0_7LA-OVnxxCN6hJbMje-Xj1Lj3vbpppVNo_-pgwHKRDsl81ITPfRZ7fA

This manual has been prepared for the medical professional who would like to learn more about the practice of surgery–the dynamics of tissue healing, the principles of wound closure, and the materials available to today’s practitioners. Most important, it touches on some of the critical decisions which must be made on a daily basis to help ensure proper wound closure .... --- CONTINUED ---
Readymom
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Re: Stitching a wound closed when hospitals are not availabl

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MORE on the zipstitch:

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A Review of the Zipstitch System For Small Lacerations
https://www.backdoorsurvival.com/a-review-of-the-zipstitch-system-for-small-lacerations/

(SNIP) ... Zipstitch is a game-changing method for closing wounds. While the technology has been used for quite some time in hospitals, it is now available to the public. Zipstitch is only recommended for use on minor cuts and lacerations according to the manufacturer. Of course in a more serious emergency situation you are going to use what you have but at your own risk. ---CONTINUED---
Readymom
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Re: Stitching Wounds-When There is No Hospital

Post by Readymom »

odditymall

ZipStitch: Laceration Kit
https://odditymall.com/zipstitch-home-laceration-kit

When you get a deep cut on your skin while out and about, it's sometimes not the easiest to just hop on over to an emergency room to get stitches put in, nor is it the cheapest route. The ZipStitch is a DIY hoe laceration kit that allows you to easily close and heal deep cuts by yourself without the need for stitches.
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