stupidity, superglue and lesson learned.

[moley1508]

i was wondering if anyone carries a tube to potentially close a cut.

i have had several cuts done this way at hospital and the reason it came to mind was a stupid mistake i made yesterday.

a combination of rushing, a new knife to try and the childish excitement this brought, led me to snapping a branch i was feather cutting, the knife tip went into my left thigh but quite shallow.

it was one of those moments you don't want to look. it was so sharp there was no pain but i was obviously tinting it could be quite bad.

no excuses it was study user error but boy did it bleed.

i was shooting at the time and was having a break and was keen to carry on after deciding a trip to the hospital was not essential.

as i was up and down bending any dressing soon ended up in my boot.

i ended up gluing it, no pain, blood stopped, nice clean join and carried on.

just watching for any infection but the cut was irrigated well.

hopefully my stupidity may just prompt someone to take a moment and thick twice and it may save another incident.

 

[Wahboasti]

I generally glue cuts, of course if they were deep gushers then it would be different. I believe this is what cyanoacrylate (Super glue) was invented for in the first place, although I'm sure someone will let me know if I'm wrong. A little tube weighs nothing, so is an ideal addition to kit.

 

[moley1508]

i agree, i think it was first invented/developed for the Vietnam war? i am probably wrong tho

 

[mick91]

I generally glue cuts, of course if they were deep gushers then it would be different. I believe this is what cyanoacrylate (Super glue) was invented for in the first place, although I'm sure someone will let me know if I'm wrong. A little tube weighs nothing, so is an ideal addition to kit.

Was indeed. The only difference is medical superglue is octocyanoacrylate, it doesn't generate as much heat when it cures, and usually has a blue or red dye added. I've used superglue on loads of nicks and cuts and had no I'll effects. Apart from stupidly gluing my finger to a cut once

 

[Bishop]

Yes, there's generally one or two small single use tubes in my FAK. Nothing fancy just Poundland pack of ten jobs, good for most small cuts, torn clothing, broken spectacles and leaking air beds.

 

[wicca]

My mate is a building site chippy and is always getting cuts on his hands. He uses SuperGlue all the time and he says it's good and in fact promotes healing and growth. Must be true as He's got 7 fingers on each hand now, he says it's murder trying to find gloves to fit but you should hear him play the piano...

 

[moley1508]

lol, there's a few in my area like that!

 

[HillBill]

Glueing is all good... normal superglue stings a bit... other than that, crack on.... i also carry a 35mm film case full on gun powder in case of something more serious, like an axe wound.. so i can cauterise a cut artery maybe... needs must in this game.

 

[Drain Bamaged]

OK, this is starting to get a bit extreme ......Remember, anyone carrying a pocket MRI machine keep it well away from your compass.

D.B.

 

[HillBill]

Nothing extreme mate..... hit yourself with an axe before one judges eh?

And yeah, i know it was tongue in cheek

 

[Leshy]

Note to self:

learn how to carry out cauterising nasty cuts asap (youtube?)

TRY not to look suspicious buying some gun powder in the local gun store ... (That will make it even more suspicious I'm sure...)

Remember not to make Guy Fawkes comments or references online near the date ...

Ooops , sorry.


😒

On a serious note, what Hillbill says, makes sense ...
We got all these big sharp toys and sometimes $#!t happens.

but where does a chap buy some gunpowder without looking suspicious?
And does potassium permanganate do the same job?

Oh , and I got a respectable beard and and am mixed race... so even more suspicious...



Or...

Basically, should I just stick to superglue (no pun intended) and military trauma bandages

 

[wicca]

" but where does a chap buy some gunpowder without looking suspicious? "

You don't have to use gunpowder to cauterise a severed artery, you can buy a Magnesium fire starter gizmo and scape a load of Magnesium dust off into a little container to carry about ready to set fire to yourself...Works a treat, it will flare up and seal the artery ok...mind you you'll die of shock immediately afterwards.
Join the Wimps club with me and carry a field dressing Leshy...

 

[Leshy]

" but where does a chap buy some gunpowder without looking suspicious? "

You don't have to use gunpowder to cauterise a severed artery, you can buy a Magnesium fire starter gizmo and scape a load of Magnesium dust off into a little container to carry about ready to set fire to yourself...Works a treat, it will flare up and seal the artery ok...mind you you'll die of shock immediately afterwards.
Join the Wimps club with me and carry a field dressing Leshy...

Hahahah, I joined that club ages ago me old mucka ...

Ive had the trauma dressing for ages, ready to go...

Last year it ran out of date , so I got another one to replace it and played about with the old one...😀
Nice bit of kit , but it seems over the top...
That is very much for a TRAUMA wound job, like the ones you'd get in Hellmand ...

But then again, I still carry it despite being very careful. (and I'm touching wood as I write this) Ive been working with sharps all my life and still got all my digits.

Just cauterisation sounds like a useful skill when you're out in the boonies and hours away from a rescue.
My level 3 first aid at work never covered that sort of procedure and I can see that an artery would drain you out in no time...
So yep, time to investigate and research.

 

[KenThis]

I agree that accidents happen and a nasty cut in the wrong place is gonna kill you very quickly in the wild.

However prevention is most definitely better than cure in these instances.

A trauma bandage should be overkill for the vast majority of bushcraft. If you're regularly putting yourself in the position of potentially needing to close a severed artery then you should go back to basics with tool use.

Also I suspect that if you are needing to close an artery by cauterisation then you'd be far better off using a trauma dressing or even some sort of emergency tourniquet. By the time you've stopped putting pressure on the wound long enough to add your accelerant and light it you've probably passed out. Even if you did manage it as has been said the shock is gonna lead to complications given your already weakened state.

Leave the self cauterisation to Rambo and Hollywood.

 

[dewi]

Careful with that cauterising, you can seal in an infection if it's a deep wound.

I went for a vasectomy, and due to complication I ended up with a 3/4 inch cut across my scrotum that was suspected to be infected. I begged the surgeon to cauterise the wound so I could get back to work, but he talked me through why he wouldn't. Apparently an infection can remain deep inside the cut, so everyday, midday I had to go to my local doctors and have two young nurses push a dressing inside the wound so it healed from the inside out.

Needless to say it was somewhat embarrassing to return everyday for such treatment, so I got my wife to attend one day, learn what to do and with a bundle of dressings on hand, she kept doing it for 11 weeks.

What I can tell you, and this is absolutely true, is that gaffa tape will hold such a wound in place whilst healing. Due to the nature of the wound, and the type of job I did at the time (I vehicle wrapped lorry cabs) I needed mobility. So everyday after dressing the wound, I would reinforce it with a sort of gaffa tape jock strap. It worked perfectly and I had good mobility. A bit painful, but the wound healed despite me constantly climbing ladders etc... although there was an interesting day with some rope... maybe thats one for discussion round a campfire.

Saying all that, I've cauterised wounds on my hand and leg. The hand wound healed fine, but the leg wound kept reopening. I had a wound above my right eye I considered sealing, but given the proximity to my eye I cut up some kidney plasters into butterfly stitches... did the trick, but the scar is probably worse than if I'd sought proper medical attention.

 

[Leshy]

I agree that accidents happen and a nasty cut in the wrong place is gonna kill you very quickly in the wild.

However prevention is most definitely better than cure in these instances.

A trauma bandage should be overkill for the vast majority of bushcraft. If you're regularly putting yourself in the position of potentially needing to close a severed artery then you should go back to basics with tool use.

Also I suspect that if you are needing to close an artery by cauterisation then you'd be far better off using a trauma dressing or even some sort of emergency tourniquet. By the time you've stopped putting pressure on the wound long enough to add your accelerant and light it you've probably passed out. Even if you did manage it as has been said the shock is gonna lead to complications given your already weakened state.

Leave the self cauterisation to Rambo and Hollywood.

Alright, alright...

I'll just do what Wicca said and stick to dressings and tampons....

How exciting...
😞

 

[KenThis]

Alright, alright...

I'll just do what Wicca said and stick to dressings and tampons....

How exciting...
��

Boring maybe. But think of it this way, if we didn't enjoy your presence on the forums so much we'd be encouraging you to experiment....

 

[dewi]

Boring maybe. But think of it this way, if we didn't enjoy your presence on the forums so much we'd be encouraging you to experiment....

Sorry but you're stuck in your books again Ken.

I've had experience of cauterising wounds on myself, and its circumstances, area of wound and pain threshold.

Its all very well banging on about neurogenic shock (no pun intended) but what about septic shock? Or hypovolemic shock?

Granted, sticking gunpowder in a wound to seal it is an extreme, but so is pouring petrol on a wound. Look up Juliane Koepcke. She had little choice.

All Leshy is on about is having a gander at the methods... and its a fascinating subject to look into. There are circumstances it isn't appropriate for and if you have a low pain threshold, you're not going to have a pleasant experience.

Be careful what you advise against, just as you need to be careful what you advise for. For instance, how does that tourniquet or field dressing effect movement, mobility? What if mobility is key?

And without meaning to provide spoilers for Leshy, you do know that the Rambo method of cauterisation is a couple of decades out of date? Chemical/gel causterisation. Nothing to do with fire and Rambo knives.

Hopefully Leshy will report back what he's learned and be fascinated, maybe surprised at what he finds.

 

[KenThis]

Sorry but you're stuck in your books again Ken.

I've had experience of cauterising wounds on myself, and its circumstances, area of wound and pain threshold.

Its all very well banging on about neurogenic shock (no pun intended) but what about septic shock? Or hypovolemic shock?

Granted, sticking gunpowder in a wound to seal it is an extreme, but so is pouring petrol on a wound. Look up Juliane Koepcke. She had little choice.

All Leshy is on about is having a gander at the methods... and its a fascinating subject to look into. There are circumstances it isn't appropriate for and if you have a low pain threshold, you're not going to have a pleasant experience.

Be careful what you advise against, just as you need to be careful what you advise for. For instance, how does that tourniquet or field dressing effect movement, mobility? What if mobility is key?

And without meaning to provide spoilers for Leshy, you do know that the Rambo method of cauterisation is a couple of decades out of date? Chemical/gel causterisation. Nothing to do with fire and Rambo knives.

Hopefully Leshy will report back what he's learned and be fascinated, maybe surprised at what he finds.

I'm sticking with my advice this time, and it is just my personal advice, follow it or not, but I don't think you can argue against it being my humble opinion.

Know how to use your tools to help prevent the possibility of such an accident in the first place.

Carry a proper trauma bandage in case of an unforeseen emergency.

I'd go one further and suggest if you're seriously worried that this may happen to you do some first aid training and learn how to correctly use a clotting agent.

I'm pretty sure the majority who use the forums are wise enough to pick and choose what advice they should follow, including Leshy. But I think it's perhaps a little irresponsible to suggest cauterisation is a viable means of stopping a wound from bleeding when there are far better methods available. Do we really want people to not carry suitable first aid because they believe they'll safely be able to cauterise a wound.

 

[dewi]

I don't think you can argue against it being my humble opinion.

Yeah, great Ken... I carry the tools and trauma bandages with me everywhere. Never leave my side, and I'm sure 99% of people are the same.

Sarcasm, my argument against your humble opinion.

And frankly, you've not answered the mobility issue. So you can't say what is viable or not... or do you not understand the mobility issue?

Thinking about it, have you cauterised a wound Ken?