Posted: 10/25/2023 7:41:28 AM EDT
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I recently had an elderly family member spend 8hrs in the ER for a severely injured shoulder. This got me thinking about things that I went to the ER for growing up. If I can avoid the ER for anything short of a life threatening injury, I would be ecstatic. Does anyone have a source for quality suture kits that I can leverage for injuries that are slightly north of minor but not yet life threatening? Thanks! |
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You can find kits from off brand companies, just make sure they offer proper sterilization documentation. I think MyMedic does some grab and go stuff for basic laceration closure. There are also some minimally invasive zipper style closures that have been in field testing. |
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Staples are the new sutures. Plenty of suture kits there too. Nearly all that stuff is labeled “for training” cause the AMA doesn’t like self care. |
"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."
G. K. Chesterton
G. K. Chesterton
Maybe these suture bandages? 
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100%-PureBlood-100%
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I've often wondered what one could do to numb the area prior to stitching... Years ago I bought a suturing practice/teaching kit off Amazon complete with all tools and fake skin to learn on. It's really not difficult on a non-moving object, but add a living being with pain receptors and things get, messier? |
Originally Posted By HogJaws:
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"You know things are bad in CA when chicks who do ATM for a living are giving up on the place."
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Those are what I keep. Really, I’m not more than a day from a clinic, those work for a short term solution. |
"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."
G. K. Chesterton
G. K. Chesterton
For those instances where you don't have access to sutres or staples, with a simple band-aid and scissors you can make a butterfly with good holding power. |
America is at that awkward stage, it’s too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards....Claire Wolfe
| I do keep sutures in one kit, but really, unless the need is extreme they will stay there. The wound really needs cleaning, hemostats should be used, and sterile. |
"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."
G. K. Chesterton
G. K. Chesterton
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Originally Posted By NotIssued: Also try an urgent care in those cases. I found out last week the one of the local occupational health offices does sutures. Some of the local urgos/oncalls/promptcares/wtfbbqxyz (I swear every company has to have some unique idiotic name for the same thing) will do sutures, some won't, it can help to call around and find out what capabilities different places have (preferably before you need it). Also see if your PCP does urgent visits; when I was a kid my mom cut the tip of her thumb off and it was a weekday so we just called the family doc and they got her in and sewed her up an hour or so later. |
“The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.” Tacitus
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MO, USA
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Yep. This is what you actually see used in the ER. It's quick and cheap. |
per aspera ad astra
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I agree with the other's who mentioned staples. Much faster and easier than sutures if appropriate. If you really want to learn to suture I would suggest you buy a practice kit and watch some Youtube videos. Simple interrupted is easy enough to learn but more advanced techniques take a lot of practice to master. The variety of suture materials, needles, size etc can be confusing. |
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Sutures can be applied in such a way that they minimize scarring. So can staples, but if you’re trying to close a wound in the field, pretty isn’t as important as fast. I agree that you should also worry about both cleanliness and asepsis, but if you’re just closing something to control bleeding and keep a part from flopping around until the victim can be seen in a proper facility, fast is good. Finally, stapling can be done so quickly that the person you’re helping doesn’t really have a chance to notice much, unlike suturing, which takes long enough for EACH suture that they will definitely notice. Either way, some emla cream is helpful. |