Super Glue

[Celtic Dragon]

Reading past threads from the time I missed on here, there has been a fair amount of talk about FAK's and what you carry in them. Lead me to wonder how many of you carry a non-toxic form of superglue in it.

According to my mate (a SF medic who carries it) who might be having me on with this, its what it was invented for. The same comment is said in Dog Soldiers before anyone mentions it.

PS: yes I do have insomnia at the moment :shock:

[leon-1]

Welcome back, there have been a number of threads that mention the use of superglue on injuries, probably the most informed and infromative one is here where they will explain the difference between normal superglue and the stuff that medical professionals use.

I hope it comes in handy, oh and my excuse is I work nights (mores the pity :cry: ), happy reading :-)

[Celtic Dragon]

That bit certainly makes encitefull reading. I for 1 will be replacing my FAK (don't have 1 at the mo), then adding a tube to it, whilst I am reluctant to use it on others, I have no hesiatation on gluing myself back together, done it before, much to the ex's horror

[EdS]

Super glue has saved me several trips to A&E t oget stiches. The last time been when I stuck the billhook in my leg.

[Stuart]

A word of Caution.

super glue is a cyano-acrylic and should not be used inside a wound.

closing a deep wound without sufficant medical knowledge may lead to infection.

[Adi007]

Another word of caution ... superglue gives off a lot of heat as it hydrolyses (what it does to stick) and this can add a burn to your wound.

[Furface]

I must say that I have used superglue on myself several occasions, usually due to martial arts sword practice. Yes, it is an exothermic reaction, but I cannot say that I have ever noticed any heat on the wound. Perhaps this is because I only use sufficient to hold the wound shut.

It does have the advantage of allowing light use of the affected areas almost immediately, which is not usually the case with dressings or plasters. Good benefit if alone in the sticks. As with anything, it has advantages, strengths and limitations.

Stuart, is Dermabond or a european equivalent available over the counter? The other thread does say that Dermabond is only available on prescription (in Florida at least). I would like to use suitable sterile kit, but first aid is often rough and ready and not supposed to replace proper medical attention.

[Stuart]

I am not aware of anywhere that Dermabond can be bought over the counter, however I am fairly sure that you do not require a perscription to purchse it (I may be wrong here)

medical suppliers such as BCB may be able to supply it or you could contact the manufacture and ask for the details of a distrubuter

[Ed]

Stuart, is Dermabond or a european equivalent available over the counter? The other thread does say that Dermabond is only available on prescription

As far as I know it is not available over the counter, but this may have changed. It is available from the doctors on private prescription if you have a good enough reason.

Ed

[MarkG]

You should be able to buy it from http://www.westons.com

But the price might put you off £95.90 + p&p for 6 vials.

[Ed]

I've just had a quick ask about and it seems that you do not need a perscription to get it. Your doctor may be able to get it cheaper for you and will also be able to give you just 1 or 2 vials for your kit so you wont have to buy a whole box.

95.90 is expensive by the way..... it is available for about 70 in a few places.

You shouldn't really be using this stuff on yourself unless you have some medical training. I don't use it on myself. I have it in my kit along with a sterile needle set, iv needle and tube etc that can be used by doctors in 3rd world countries to treat me if I have an accident.

Ed

[Realgar]

I'll find out where we get if from in the department - there's no way it's costing us that much, ours has a bluish tint and is called 'tissue glue'.
When I use it on myself ( usualy the DIY version ), I use a needle just to run a little along the top of the wound just to hold the edges together without bothering the underlying tissue - usualy animal scratches and bites. The instructions on the medical version warned to to use it on cartillage ( too little blood ).
Needless to say, be careful with it, I once glued myself to a microscope - I was fixing something fiddly and put my hand down first on the glue pot and then on the 'scope base.
I was going to ask about the solvent in case of accidents but I've just seen what's in it ( nitromethane & toluene ) so I'll just be more careful with the microscope.
Realgar

[bambodoggy]

I've never tried glueing myself before but I've been glued a few times....better than stiches for sure!

I have butterfly stitches in my FAK...I know I can administer them and they seem to work almost as well as glue when they've been used on me....what do you guys think of them. Never had to use mine in anger yet...fingers crossed! ):

[Walkabout]

I heard a rumour that after they had discovered super-glue they experimented with it in the Vietnam war to reattach limbs. Presumably they glued the bone together, stitched the skin together and let the rest sort itself out
Does anyone know if this rumour is true? :?:

[Frogo]

I have always used super glue in single sterile applications, and optimed sterile dressings to seal the area, only on larger wounds and the wound needs to be as dry as pos for good adhesion. I also use an Ethyl Chloride BP spray if I have to remove foreign bodies from the wound area.

Frogo

[Pict]

If you can't find Dermabond anywhere try yout veterinarian. None of the medical suppply places here in Brazil carry it but my vet said he'd be happy to order me a bottle.

I've been thinking about it alot today. My shoes were all muddy and I was washing them off in the basin. The drain was backed up so I swirled my finger down in the muddy water to clear the drain. There was a large chunk of glass in the drain and I pretty much sliced off the tip of my left middle finger. I opened up a nice 1 x.5 cm gash. OUCH!

I got a tetanus shot just in case. Mac

[zackerty]

Your mate is right, and I have used it on a knife cut in my right bicep, and a shrapnel gash in my leg, once I had debrided the gash.
No infection in both cases.
Very little scar to be seen on the leg, but I did the arm cut with my left hand, so the scar is obvious.
I still use cheap superglue in my workshop for minor cuts.

Stuart

[zambezi]

I am not sure that we all would know the best practice when using surgical glues, so I trawled the NHS and found this superb guide . I include an excerpt here, but refer to the document for instances where using glue is not recommended.

Tissue adhesives
Tissue adhesives can be applied rapidly and painlessly.
They are as effective as sutures for the repair of simple, clean wounds [Simon et al, 1997], with similar cosmetic results [Bruns et al, 1998; Singer et al, 1998; Singer et al, 2002].
They should not be used on joints, hands, feet, lips, mucosa, infected wounds, puncture wounds, bite wounds, or stellate wounds.
Hold the skin edges together and then apply the tissue adhesive in thin layers. (This action reduces the amount of heat felt as the adhesive is applied.)
Do not get adhesive in the wound, as this will impair wound healing.
After application, no dressing is required.
The wound should be kept dry for 5 days. The person may shower, although prolonged contact with water (e.g. a bath or swimming) should be avoided [Richardson, 2003].
The adhesive will slough off after 7-10 days.
There is a small but significant increased risk of the wound re-opening with tissue adhesives; 25 people would need to be treated with standard wound closure to prevent one incident wound re-opening using tissue adhesive (Number Needed to Harm (NNH) =25; 95% CI=14 to 100) [Farion et al, 2004].
Tissue adhesives containing enbucrilate (Histoacryl and Indermil), ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate (Epiglu), 2-octylcyanoacrylates (Dermabond) and butylcyanoacrylate (LiquaBond) are available in the UK [BNF 47, 2004].
[Singer et al, 1997; Hollander and Singer, 1999; Wilson et al, 2000; Bruns and Worthington, 2000]

[nameless]

hey i'm not really sure how to use the superglue do you just hold the wound together and add a layer of glue over it?? :?:

[zackerty]

that is exactly what I did for the two most serious wounds I have referred to...

[Toddy]

Is this the same stuff that the pound stores sell on cards of twelve little tubes for £1? And are you using it like butterfly plasters?, not directly into a gash or a tear?
Toddy

[zackerty]

I buy 3 for NZ$ 2-00 !

I have a medical friend, who says the difference between the medical and the " junk ', is academic.
I have used the "junk" since +-1983, and I am still alive!
If you are dubious, use the medical only... NZ$ 85-00 for 5 grams... I think not!
Long term affects, we will have to see...

I DO try to avoid going into the wound, and yes, it sometimes stings!

[fatty]

super glue is very sticky :shock:

[bushbasher]

I don't know if you guys have jinxed me or something, but I managed to cut myself beautifully this morning. I was using my new Hook Knife to carve a spoon when the blade slipped and cut a lovely c shaped gash into my Thumb. It didn't start bleeding for a few seconds, so I had plenty of time to look at all the exposed fat and bone. When it did start bleeding I was like the proverbial Stuck Pig.
I quickly pressed a piece of tissue paper onto the wound to hold the flap of skin down and to stop the bleeding. Then I remembered this forum, so I used an unopened tube of regular Super Glue I had in the junk Draw and set about fixing myself. (You definately have to make sure the bleeding has stopped or reduced significantly before trying this procedure).
I closed up the gash with a sterile swab and allowed it to dry. Then I applied a thin coat of Super glue over the closed edges of the wound, allowing it to overlap by about 6mm each side of cut. Once this first layer had dried I applied another coat. There was no noticeable heat produced, and I didn't experience any stinging, but I was very carefull to not allow any glue into the wound opening itself.
After about 10 minutes the wound was completely closed, and the small amount of blood that escaped from the edges had hardened with the Glue into a scab. Job done the Glue definately seems to do the trick.

So far I feel fine, but If I croak from this I will come back and haunt you all.

[zackerty]

Bushbasher,
Post a pic, post a pic!!!

[Justin Time]

hmmm, looks like you might have missed an important part of Zambesi's message :?: :?:

Snipped useful stuff

They should not be used on joints, hands, feet, lips, mucosa, infected wounds, puncture wounds, bite wounds, or stellate wounds.

[stuart f]

I,ve stuck fillings back in with it,saves waiting weeks to get to see my dentist.

I remember reading years ago about a guy that did all his own dentistry using superglue,he had a conspiracy theory that the metal fillings they put in were used by the government to keep tabs on people as some sort of tracking device.

Also back in the early 80s,a guy who had used superglue on the tips of his spikey hair do went for unfair dismissal after the company he worked for said he was a health hazard to other workers,they said that his hair was so hard that he could impale someone if he took a header. :shock:

[Stuart]

Super Glue Is A Cyano-acrylic And Absolutly Should Not Be Used Inside The Mouth !!!!!!!!

[juliandavid]

Boxers used to use a similar substance on their cuts, [in mid-fight] 40 years ago, until it was realised the havoc this was causing to the later wound healing... especially on eyebrows.
If you have the time, and co-ordination, to frig around with a tube of this stuff, then you can do something sensible instead.

If you have just injured yourself, then you must stop the bleeding, by sustained pressure, and secure the wound in a sensible manner. There are plenty of places that tell you how to do this. Best then to rest it for an hour or so till shock has passed off, and coagulation has dealt with the blood-flow.. You can then deal with the wound by taping it closed with a few lengths of elastoplast.. Before bandaging. If you are competent and confident, then this, with antiseptic treatment, may be enough.. Otherwise you may need more skilled help later. A wound may take weeks to heal, and the body may have to replace layers of skin, and maybe more, in the process. |Having lumps of plastic stuck in the way is not sensible. It will need dressing every few days, and if you are lucky, the resulting scar may be slight..

You have to deal with bleeding, shock, and damaged parts. Competently. I once lost a friend, from shock after he was struck by a passing vehicle wing mirror, and he was 14 years old, and in good health.. Last week I took the end off my finger in an electric plane... That was painful, bloody, and I am waiting to see just how much tissue regrowth I will get... In all my years of doing silly things, I cant recall one instance where superglue would have been less than rediculous...