So your daughter cuts her finger...

[mib1392]

I use superglue all the time. I have bad cracks on my fingers, especially when working with oils or sandust and without gloves, or all winter long. All the dermatologist blabla is about "standard care and frequent cream", but when there's a painful cut, only glue helps, better than anything else.

I use the Gel-one from Loctite, as it stays near the wound and doesn't run everywhere. It comes in a easy-dosing pack that makes it useable for weeks, unlike the small packs that dry out after the first use.
Never hurts to have a pack or 2 on board. Not only for little cuts, but for general purpose.

Re: water: after 2-3 minutes, you're good to go. If you get it wet earlier, it gets white, brittle, and isn't as stable as when it's dried normaly (it cures with H20, but normally uses the air humidity and skin - or blood, for that matter.


For your daughter, I think your procedures weren't that bad at all.
If I'd wanna try around on myself with superglue, I'd get the blue Loctite dispenser. And I'd go on Amazon and buy some Vetbond. It's Dermabond, but only certified for animals, not for humans. It's rather liquid, so it may run off when I use it for your fingers.




So all above is just what I do and what I don't recommend to anyone, that's why I post in forums. Don't try it, and if you do, it's you who is responsible for what you do, not I. (just saying because I'm in a profession where people follow health advices).

 

[quickfarms]

Athletic tape

Use a bandage or gauze pad on the would and tape it up.

Change the dressing frequently or when it becomes wet or dirty.

I do agree with using a loose bandage at night if possible

Above all keep it clean

Keep an eye on the wound and if it keeps bleeding, does not heal correctly or looks funny seek medical attention.

 

[chet6.7]

I suggest using betadine on wounds like that.

 

[HOOLIGAN]

20+ year paramedic and my wife is the clinical nurse manager for an ER. Our kids can't catch a break when it comes to staying home from school. lol

Simple is the best. Clean with clean water. Cover with a sterile dressing. For an active kid on a camping trip I like Duct Tape. I'll cover the whole dressing with it and secure it at the base of the finger. This way when it comes time to check it, the tape is adhered to unaffected skin. Despite what's been mentioned, I'm still a big fan of triple antibiotic ointments, especially in the woods. Let the cut air out a few times during the day and if possible, overnight.

 

[racehorse]

^x2 . . . I smashed and sliced a thumb in Iraq when I was embedded with the marines as a war correspondent back in my news reporting days. Corpsman used sterile dressing and just told me to keep it as clean as possible with water and rewrap every so often. Conditions were far worse than camping/expo trips I've been on - no showers for two months, dust like baby powder and I needed the thumb to work - type and send stories. Changing the dressing often, cleaning the wound and thumb was good as new (minus some scarring) when I got back. The pain part I can't help with - I know kids, my own, don't like it very much - I didn't have a choice but I don't recall it being really unbearable.

Question for the medics/pros: What would you use for pain for the kids whose cut is deep enough to continually hurt? Can you go ahead and use OTC stuff that would be effective?

 

[Honu]

for me tincture of benzoin and these puppies
http://www.nexcare.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/NANexcare/Nexcare/ProductCat/?N=4326+3294631542&rt=rud
I love these things best band aids going IMHO to keep gunk out and hold on quite well with the tincture

also these are good to http://www.nexcare.com/wps/portal/3...Duty-Fabric-Bandages?N=4326+3294631218&rt=rud


I used to be in the FD EMT job basically and teach diving medic stuff as I taught diving for 15 years so stuff I did was always to be strong enough not to come off around boats and beaches
the sealing band aids with tincture as glue are insane strong if in a rub spot cloth tape over can help

at night let breathe normal dressing and put back on the better water dirt proof stuff at morning

 

[91AzXJ]

Superglue is commonly used by surgeons instead of stitches but is usually covered by a bandage.

 

[paj54]

We have livestock and use a product called Vet Wrap on our animals. It is a waterproof tape that sticks only to itself and stays in place for days. I have it in my Pajero's first aid kit at all timea. Cheap too.

 

[UK4X4]

mmmm maybe I'm older than most, but I grew up wearing a finger stall over the plaster or dressing .....for day wear and just a light dressing for nights.


yep they look a tad odd.....

https://www.google.com/search?q=lea...oTCJ68sqb9-sYCFcteFAodoEkFTA&biw=1156&bih=738

 

[rayra]

We have livestock and use a product called Vet Wrap on our animals. It is a waterproof tape that sticks only to itself and stays in place for days. I have it in my Pajero's first aid kit at all timea. Cheap too.

also called 'pet flex' and also Coban as human medical supplies. Prices vary wildly. It's all basically the same stuff.

 

[Arclight]

Superglue is commonly used by surgeons instead of stitches but is usually covered by a bandage.

Hi all,
My background is EMT with SAR experience, so I'm obviously not as experienced as some of our nurses and other pre-hospital folks here. I recommend anyone who takes their family out on long trips consider taking a "Wilderness First Aid" (WFA) or the advanced version (WAFA). They cover this topic in great detail. Wound management is one of those "keep a small thing from becoming a big thing" skills.

Superglue is great for certain things. Cracks in your heels and fingers from dryness and abrasions from rock climbing. Things that are superficial and get agitated non-stop really get better quickly when glued back together, For everything else in the field, I try to leave it open so that it can drain and heal on its own. In a clinic, they will be doing a lot better job of cleaning the wound than you'll be able to do in the field.

For me, I would go with sterile dressings or Steri strips placed far enough apart to allow for drainage. And of course, deep, dirty or contaminated wounds should be flushed.

FYI, the Tincture of Benzoin bottles and swaps have a habit of breaking open on trips. I recommend the ampoules:

http://www.amazon.com/Tincture-Benzoin-Ampules-Per-Pack/dp/B00475FYO6/

Duct tape or good surgical tape can keep the bandage together. Make sure your band-aids and tape get refreshed every year or two, as those items dry out in storage.

Arclight

 

[Honu]

never had a bottle break but I keep my band aid steri strip kit with cleaning in a small tough case that is easy to grab and handles almost all basic quick things
but could see if you just had the bottle in a soft kit very easy could break
I also worked on boats so the small tough case was waterproof

I was using my kit on a almost daily basis so the bottles were the only way to keep cost down IMHO for most anyone the ampules would be the better way to go so agree on those

 

[Arclight]

never had a bottle break but I keep my band aid steri strip kit with cleaning in a small tough case that is easy to grab and handles almost all basic quick things
but could see if you just had the bottle in a soft kit very easy could break
I also worked on boats so the small tough case was waterproof

I was using my kit on a almost daily basis so the bottles were the only way to keep cost down IMHO for most anyone the ampules would be the better way to go so agree on those

The worst are the foil-packaged wipes or swab sticks. Those always seem to get a hole worn in them and then your whole kit is coated in gooey, purple stuff.

Arclight

 

[Arclight]

I managed to cut my thumb pretty nicely last Friday, right before a 3-day camping trip. I caught a very sharp, moving chip of steel coming off the lathe at my shop. This is sort of like touching a moving, serrated razor blade. After letting it bleed a bit and bandaging, I got the idea to take a couple of pictures for sake of the "What do I do next?" thread here.

Here it is 24-hours post injury:



I cleaned it with soap and water and just kept a Bandaid on it for the first 2 days. On a deep laceration like this, leaving it open and letting it drain is a good idea. Bits of tissue, fluid from leaking capillaries and other fun stuff wants to get out, and anaerobic bacteria should be prevented from getting started. Also, anything that happens outside of a hospital is not going to be clean and uncontaminated, so trying to close it in the field is likely to seal in the dirt. I put some Bacitracin ointment on it to keep the bandages from sticking, and changed them as they got dirty. Note: You can go through a lot of bandages in the first 1-2 days.

Two days later, I applied Tincture of Benzoin and Steri-strips. This is mostly for comfort and mobility. The Benzoin helps the strips stick to your skin and is also a disinfectant.

Here's what it looks like now:



Arclight

 

[btburn]

Best case: a Kiss
Worst case: Clean it and grab the skin stapler out of the kit.
Seriously though, a minor cut should just be kept clean and it will heal itself.