super-glue in wounds?

NickWheeler

NickWheeler

Joined
Dec 3, 1999
Messages
9,437
I was told a while back that the whole reason super-glue came to be was for use in the field for sealing open wounds.

I have been told by a few makers that they use it to seal cuts. So the other day I covered the top of my knuckle with it after I managed to grind part of it off (just the skin).

It has heeled very fast since it hasn't had to try to seal itself over and over again being on my knuckle (constantly bending).

But my neighbor that's an EMT freaked out saying that I was putting toxic chemicals into my body.

Now of all people I should know this, but is this super-glue trick a bad thing to do?

I have some of that New-Skin stuff now, and it feels just the same as super-glue.

I suppose I should have read some labels before I posted this, but I just thought I'd get some other makers' knowledge on it.

Thanks,
Nick
 
If anyones interested I know a site that sells the medical glue...I will have to find the link

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What's wrong with talking to yourself?? It's sometimes the best conversation and eitherway your always right... -Me-
Formerly Endura Duck
 
I have used it for sealing cuts several of times to no ill effect. I just would not pour it into a wound, but rather tack the edges together.

I work in an emergency room and I really have to watch all the small nagging cuts I get on my hands. I feel better when the wounds are closed even when I am wearing gloves, etc.

A work associate seemed concerned that I might be poisoning myself with toxins by doing this. Remarkably, he was expressing his thoughts to me while working on his third cigarette of the hour.
 
Bowlers use it for cuts all the time. Thats not to say it isn't toxic. I'm sure if you use it enough it will have negative health affects.

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Take care!! Michael
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Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!
I currently don't have a web site but am working on one.
Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms!!!
 
I work in a body shop so my hands are always getting beat up. I've always used super glue to seal small cuts that are bleeding and never once has the area get infected or irritated. I do NOT use it to seal larger gouges or deep cuts, I use a Zip-Tie to stop the blood flow on those.

As for the New-Skin, I don't like it. It's antiseptic properties are great but it doesn't stick that well and peels off too easy. If you happen to aggrivate a cut and it starts to bleed again, the new skin won't do squat.

Medical glue may be the best of both worlds but I've never used it so I have no oppinion.
 
I use to do a lot of no rules fighting(like ultimate fighting championships) I also hung out with a lot of boxers, and several people used superglue. Here is what I have been told by many doctors. The active ingrediant in regular super glue and medical grade superglue are the same, it is the carriers which are different. The chemicals regular superglue are toxic. All the doctors I have talked to said that it is very good for small cuts, and you shouldn't have any bad effects, the problems start when you have a deep wound, that should probably be stitched. The chemicals find their way into your bloodstream, and can cause some damage. One doctor showed me an article about a guy who was doing something kinky and got a huge cut on his penis, he was too embarrased to go to a doctor, so he sealed it up with superglue. The guy lost his penis. When he finally went to a doctor they had to amputate a large part of it.
Kyle
 
Yikes Kile, that's a scary story. A good reason not to use super glue on ANY cut, IMO. However, I have been told by several people that would seem to know what they are talking about, that regular, over the counter SG is perfectly safe and non-toxic for wounds. One was a health guru type. Not that people can't get bad information. In my mind, better safe than sorry...



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John Gonzalez
Exclusive Dealer
Mineral Mountain Hatchet Works
 
I would assume different brands of glue use different chemicals, maybe some are ok and some are bad, I do know that the medical grade super glue is considerably more expensive then most regular stuff.
Kyle
 
Double check this with feverdoc, but the "kazy glue" brand is identical in contents to the surgical glues. So I don't know where the "for sure there are bad things" conclusions would come from. Of course, we have to use common sense regarding the size and type of wound to be so treated... But I've had no problems with small cuts/abrasions and Krazy Glue.
 
Super glue was original designed as a glue used to glue tendons and bones.
 
Several years ago before they had a medical grade super glue, there was a documentary on 60 minutes about a DR. that used superglue in his operations. He was convinced this was the best stuff for certain operations, he further stated that until they made a medical grade he would get his at ACE hardware.

A neo-tribal remedy is to seal the wound with hot pitch.

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Sola Fide
 
Bowlers:

Make sure the SuperGlue is DRY before sticking your fingers back in the bowling ball!!!

We wouldn't want to call the paramedics to fish you out of the pin machine, now would we?
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(Sorry, Michael - couldn't resist!)

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Tom Anderson
Hand Crafted Knives


www.andersoncustomknives.com
 
Hey, Nick!
There are two distinct formulas- one is the regular stuff and the other is medical grade which leaves out the worst of the toxic ingredients.
The main difference to us users is that the regular kind is easier to find and keep on hand.
Lots of medical folks now keep it on hand and use it instead of stitches if possible.
We are exposed daily to so many nasty things that we might make better choices when we have a choice.

Talk to you soon-

Dave Evans
Tenino, WA

 
Nick and Dave---The perfect solution to this topic is DO NOT cut yourselves---stay away from those grinders and don`t play with sharp knives! Lil ole sheath maker me----------Sandy
 
The problem with using superglue isn't so much that it is toxic (I'm thinking if someone is stupid enough to dump chemicals on a serious, gushing wound that maybe they deserve to get a Darwin Award anyway!
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) but rather that it does a fantastic job of locking in infectious organisms. Most people have no problems when they get a cut or scrape, but the chances of developing an infected wound are a lot higher when you seal it in. Bacteria love a warm, nutritious place to sleep and divide and that is what you give them when you seal a wound up with super glue.

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Dr. Steve Agocs
http://www.geocities.com/Chiro75/frames.html


agocs_s@hotmail.com
 
Doc, last wound I tried it on was gushing blood pretty bad, bacteria would have been swimming upstream like a salmon upriver to spawn. The problem I had was holding the wound closed and gluing my thumb and two other fingers into the wound at the same time.
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Granted some will probably have worse reactions than others, for example people are allergic to latex.
Wouldn't want to do this on a regular basis, but i think, and I'm no Dr.,that a dab of superglue would be less harmful than drinking a couple soda's a day would be, regular or diet. my .02

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Sola Fide
 
I was mainly kidding, but you're right, a gusher is essentially doing a pretty good job of cleaning itself out simply by bleeding all over the place. The thing people tend to forget, though, is that their skin is crawling with little bugs that love to wreak havoc when they get a chance, so in general closing a wound is a bad idea unless it is an emergency or it has been properly cleaned up. And, you are also right about the soda pop reference. There are few things worse for your body than pop. When I was an intern there was an interesting case in our clinic with a teenage girl who had the skeleton of an 80 year old woman, primarily because of the amount of soda she was drinking. She was drinking a lot, but even a little does a great job at demineralizing bone. Pop can strip the paint off your car. Think about it next time you guzzle down a 2-liter of Mountain Dew! Yuk!
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Dr. Steve Agocs
http://www.geocities.com/Chiro75/frames.html


agocs_s@hotmail.com
 
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