Anyone (who lacks medical training) ever suture yourself or another person or animal?

[Eric H-L]

Years ago I knew a carpenter who had a chainsaw accident while cutting firewood. He stitched up his leg using his wifes needle and thread. When I heard this story I cringed. I thought *no way* would I ever consider doing this.
Fast forward 20 years with my health insurance shifting more costs to me every year. I had a mishap with a box cutter.

I patched knee with adhesive strips and it seems to be healing well. It just got me thinking about whats available on the internet now.

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[MasterBlaster]

If Rambo can do it...

Hey, amateurs sew people up all the time in the movies!

 

[PCTREE]

One of the very best "Tree Guy" I have met is a guy called John Vivian, Buckey to his friends. Awesome climber, fast ass driver and would whip out some of his Mums novocain and sterile suture kit (she was a nurse) and sow you up as you drank his beer. That there is a good skill to have,Great guy to know .

might be able to get my daughter into it but Im too squeamish

 

[Eric H-L]

Pctree
Great story!


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[FireFighterZero]

They make some very interesting tools these days.

I am not sure I would suture myself or someone else....but its a fairly easy skill to learn.


Bleeding is a very interesting subject.



Remember.....you or your patient are turning the dressings red....you have not controlled the bleeding.

 

[flushcut]

I prefer Crazy Glue and athletic tape.


On the health care cost we have a cash clinic near by and that is a God send. My buddy needed 14 stitches and cost $170 (for the stitches)+ 70 for tetanus shot.

 

[FireFighterZero]

http://api.ning.com/files/7U-JG7rft...WaSd-x*6rgx/1312_iTClampSupp_PhotoEssay_1.jpg


Here is a good one.

Could save your life someday. Its like a hair clip....with needles.

 

[flushcut]

Looks painful.

 

[FireFighterZero]

I guess its not too bad.

It will stop arterial bleeding in its tracks.

 

[flushcut]

A bee sting isn't so bad then.

 

[forestkeepers]

A bee sting isn't so bad then.

Could be fatal for me (allergic). I don't carry an epipen, but I do have benadryl with me in case I get stung. Yellow Jackets seem to be different venom, though. I got tagged 1/2 dozen times while we were taking out a locust and it lit me up (adrenaline rush). We had to go to the dollar store and get a few bottles of wasp & hornet spray to take them down before we could finish the job.

I've glued my wife & children and pulled my son's medical staples out (15 of them), but never sutured. I don't think I could handle it.

 

[adaycj]

I've sewed myself up 3 times now. Compared to the needles at the ER the pain isn't bad. The risks seem to be mostly poor alignment leading to weird healing, and infection. I wouldn't recommend the practice to others, but I'd do it to myself again.

 

[pantheraba]

hahaha...helluva a post! Good on ya!

 

[Eric H-L]

I am looking for something to practice on. Thinking of getting a chicken from the supermarket. After I am done suturing...If I cook it should I share with my wife and kids what it went through before landing on their plate?


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[biggun]

Get some pork belly.

I had a mate who was ex SBS. He now works as a climber and runs part time first aid courses. He is probably more medically trained than a paramedic, more like junior doctor.

He said they used to practice on pigs as it is similar to human flesh.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Tattooists use pigs, also.

 

[Eric H-L]

I've sewed myself up 3 times now. Compared to the needles at the ER the pain isn't bad. The risks seem to be mostly poor alignment leading to weird healing, and infection. I wouldn't recommend the practice to others, but I'd do it to myself again.

Really appreciate your assessment of the risks. What size and material suture do you use? It seems as complicated as choosing a climbing line and hitch cord!


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[Eric H-L]

Get some pork belly.

I had a mate who was ex SBS. He now works as a climber and runs part time first aid courses. He is probably more medically trained than a paramedic, more like junior doctor.

He said they used to practice on pigs as it is similar to human flesh.

Great tip! Gracias.


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[adaycj]

Really appreciate your assessment of the risks. What size and material suture do you use? It seems as complicated as choosing a climbing line and hitch cord!


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.

I bought a sewing kit once that came with a suture needle. I used fishing line the first time. I sterilized the needle with a lighter, the line was used and not sterile. Now I use a sterile kit from Amazon. I used a guide intended for animals.

Don't be like me, go to the doctor. If you get an infection, or you get a numb scar you will wish you did. I hate going to the doctor. I'm allergic to some common antiseptics, and they often screw up and use them compounding the original problem. Otherwise I'd likely go too.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Not me, I'd have a hard time doing it. My buddy shears sheep and has mishaps at times where he puts a big old cut down the sheeps belly when it's fighting or something. He grabs a needle off his dash and some dental floss....has done himself up too when back in a wilderness hunting area.

 

[CoreyYLTG]

One time I glued another logger back togetherish while up a tree. I flushed it all out with about 2,000 Milliliters of lactated ringers before gluing all the bits together with super glue to get him to the ground, and taped a pair of needle nose pliers down on the artery he cut in his arm. The volunteer EMT wanted to be a lifesaving hero and used the golden hour to pump the guy full of blood expanders and do CPR, which of course killed the guy in about 15 minutes. Hospital was about 10 minutes away.

Another guy cut off his finger and I just held the vane in his armpit until help showed up. They put his finger back on. He is fine.

One of my friends from Iraq lost a good part of his lower left leg to an EFP. I was too far away to help but another guy got a tourniquet on him and he lived. He married a girl in Florida who teaches BJJ. He helps teach, I accuse him of teaching partial arts. Sometimes he beats me up and some times I take his fake leg and just run the frig off with it.

 

[Tree09]

 

[MasterBlaster]

"Get back here with my leg, dammit!!!"

 

[stig]

"Partial arts"

 

[Eric H-L]

Update: I have a friend who is a MD. I am doing electrical work in trade for training and supplies and materials. For wilderness emergency use only. Not to replace medical treatment when possible.


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