Suture kits on amazon

[Sourdough]

You don't want a skin stapler. My wife (an RN) has made that very clear to me. Very, very clear. Did I mention she made it clear to me?

That is what DUCK Tape is for.......

[Rick]

That was my exact comment to my wife this morning. LOL. She just looked at me and shook her head. Pull the wound together and use a compression bandage was the response I got.

[welderguy]

And super glue, dont forget the superglue.

[Rick]

Medical grade......just sayin'

[welderguy]

Medical grade......just sayin'

Of course anything else would be uncivilized

[Old GI]

That is what DUCK Tape is for.......

Believe it or not: The Special Ops medical community just put out a caution against using duck tape (or 100 mph tape).

[sthrnstrong]

Maybe I am off the subject, but I have read you can use honey or pepper for even deep wounds. The wound should be filled with pepper and covered with a guaze or bandage, Keep wrapped for around 24 (not to tight) and remove the bandage and gently remove the pepper.
Like I said it is only theoretical knowledge. If I am wrong and someone has experience with either, please post the correct information.

[BENESSE]

I had surgical tape used on me 5 years ago when I had a pretty nasty gash (diving) on my stomach.
The tape fell off by itself, wound healed well, hardly a mark left. Having had both, prefer it to stitches. I'll bet it would be easier to administer too.

You can find out more about it here:
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/182/5/58

HIGHLIGHT:

"The effective use of a new surgical adhesive tape, in place of thread sutures, to close skin wounds and major incisions was reported to surgeons at a seminar held in conjunction with the annual clinical congress of the American College of Surgeons.

Investigators from seven U.S. hospitals and three foreign medical centers singled out the reduction of superficial skin infections—often seen with sutured wounds—as the biggest advantage of the tape closure method. The scientists reported on the use of tape strips utilizing an inert adhesive with a porous backing on more than 6,000 surgical patients over a three-year period.

Dr. Robert J. Freeark, director of Surgical Education at Cook County Hospital in Chicago said the value of closure with the tape "has been clearly established" in the management of traumatic wounds."

[BENESSE]

Maybe I am off the subject, but I have read you can use honey or pepper for even deep wounds. The wound should be filled with pepper and covered with a guaze or bandage, Keep wrapped for around 24 (not to tight) and remove the bandage and gently remove the pepper.
Like I said it is only theoretical knowledge. If I am wrong and someone has experience with either, please post the correct information.

My grandmother used honey regularly for stuff like that and once actually used powdered sugar on me.
I once dropped a bottle of soda, it shattered all over the place and a piece of glass cut me on the inside of my knee. Deep cut, about 1/2" wouldn't stop bleeding. She just poured in some powdered sugar, didn't cover it and asked me to sit still for about 15min. The wound stopped bleeding, and ultimately just formed a crust. Still have a little scar to remind me how clever she was.

[crashdive123]

Maybe I am off the subject, but I have read you can use honey or pepper for even deep wounds. The wound should be filled with pepper and covered with a guaze or bandage, Keep wrapped for around 24 (not to tight) and remove the bandage and gently remove the pepper.
Like I said it is only theoretical knowledge. If I am wrong and someone has experience with either, please post the correct information.

Honey has long been used to disinfect wounds. Many swear by cayenne pepper, but that's probably not very high on my "to try" list.

[your_comforting_company]

A few weeks ago I got a nasty cut on my hand. regular home use superglue is NOT what you want to put on a wound. It made the tissues swell and eventually the wound reopened and was quite sore. A doctor would have been nice, but was not an option for me. A butterfly bandage and medical tape worked well. When that came off, some electrical tape did the trick, and even had a little stretch to it. Had to be applied one more time each day while working, but it was cheap and effective.
I might also disclaim that I'm no doctor either

[Rick]

I harp about this every time it comes up. The cyanoacrylate in super glue will irritate the tissue and shouldn't be used on deep wounds. I know some of you are going to use it anyway just make certain the wound is not deep and you clean and disinfect the would before you seal it. The last thing you need is to seal dirt in your wound.

The better choice is Dermabond. It's a topical skin adhesive that also has antibacterial properties. You might consider Tegarderm especially for weird shapes like fingers and toes.

[canid]

As for expired sutures, depending on the material they are made of, the suture can rot. In addition, there could be sterility issues although that wouldn't be my first concern.

they can degrade, from exposure to any oxygen present in the packaging, exposure to radiation, etc. but they can not rot unless the packaging is compromised. they are sterilized, meaning there are no living organisms, organic spora or enzymes present as packaged. they are biologically inert until opened, or the sterile packaging is compromized.

if i where you, the sterility would be my fist concern.

it's true; suturing a wound is a lot like sewing, but in sewing fabric, you needn't be concerned about sanitation, preparation of the seam to be sewed, what forign bodies may be present in the seam. a little dust still present in a garment seam will not lead the wearer to suffer septicemia or gangrenous conditions.

even an open wound is is likely to heal properly if left open to oxygen, as long as the bleeding is stopped. a closed wound, if circulation of lymph [for removal of contaminant organisms] and blood [for introduction of fresh molecular oxygen] can not be maintained, conditions for eliminating a potentially deadly infection are dramatically reduced.

unless you can properly prepare the wound for closure, be certain that is is suitable, and have access to a source of appropriate antibiotics as a backup measure, it is not an appropriate means to treat a wound unless the wound absolutely must be closed for the patient's safety.

it's not a haemostatic measure, it's not a sanitary measure. a closed wound can not be irrigated, and it can not breathe. it is only a final step in treatment of a wound after the real work of treating the wound has been accomplished, only then to keep the treated wound closed from reintroduction of contaminants.

[canid]

in addition to sewing, there's something else suturing an untreated, or improperly treated wound is like:

unprotected sex with a stranger. it may go fine 100 times, when the only organisms you are exposed to are harmless ones your body already shares, or is perfectly able to manage, but it only takes the once to introduce a nasty little bacterium that will later need to be treated with antibiotics to prevent it's eventually killing you. the difference is that in this case, the trauma is what introduced the organism to the wound, and the suturing is what trapped it inside, creating conditions which allowed it to survive.

[Boker]

Actualy Im thinking , puting them in would be easy REMOVING them may take some skill and training.

Those staples form somewhat of an 'o' when applied. There is a special tool we use to remove them. You'd do a lot of damage trying to take some out with a pair of pliers.


Just my .02


Boker

[Rick]

Canid - You are correct, of course. Forgive my terminology. I only meant there could be a compromise in quality.

Sterility isn't a concern for me because suturing would be the very last thing I'd do for a wound and only then if it were painfully (forgive the pun) obvious that no other medical options were possible. As I said in my earlier post, sutures are a last ditch device for me. Then I'd be concerned about sterility.

[welderguy]

As I read thru all the posts then go back to my original post , I like all the info and views everybody has on sutures and there use or lack of.
But Just to make a point, All I asked was what is the expiration date for , the sterility or for degrading of the suture material itself or both.
I never asked if I could still use them to close a wound on myself or someone else.
Now as far as training I was thought by a DVM how to suture calf's, and foals up after castration, as well as how to suture lacerations, could I apply that knowledge to humans sure would I most likely Not, but it is always good to have JIC.
Now the skin stapler was posted as a joke, Ive never used them seen it used or would want it used .

[your_comforting_company]

either I have a good immune system, did a good job cleaning my wounds before stitching, or I'm incredibly lucky. Thanks for the information CanID. I never really gave much consideration to any of that stuff.. I just wanted to stop bleeding all over everything. Gangreen is something I NEVER want to have to deal with.
Can't give rep to you, dangit, but I would if I could...

[Rick]

WG - You should know by now that tangents are standard fare for a thread.

[crashdive123]

I used to go off on tangents. Now I generally keep on right angles.