Dermabond topical skin adhesive

[kev]

Anyone here keep Dermabond in their first aid kit? For those of you that do not know what Dermabound is, its a topical adhesive that is put on the outside of the wound to help stop bleeding and to keep the wound closed. Its kind like superglue, but its approved for human use and its designed for closing wounds.

I personally do not have any dermabond in my first aid kit, but after what happened this weekend, I'm going to have to get some.

This past saturday I had the chance to see Dermabond in action. While helping someone wire a house for phone, internet and television, we were outside looking at some underground phone wire. This is not your usual phone wire - it has a tough outer jacket, a jell waterproof coating, a heavy aluminum wrapping under the jacket, then another liner that holds the wires.

I wanted to get a good look at the wires before I said if it was going to be ok to run from the main building to the new construction. So I took this small pair for wire cutters and was trying to pull the aluminum wrapping away - when the wire cutters slipped, my hand went forward, and the foil sliced my middle finger open.

This was not the type of cut where you look at it and say "is it going to bleed". As soon as I pulled my hand back and looked at it, the side of my finger was already covered in blood. The man I was working with got me a rag that I used to apply direct pressure. After a few minutes the bleeding stopped, but as soon as I moved the finger the bleeding started again.

The man I was working with had a first aid kit close by - the wound was washed with soap and water (there was blood all in the sink), the hand was dried using a towel, and then a couple of layers of Dermabound was applied.

The man that I was working with went on to tell me that he has used Dermbond several times. From his explanation, it works best when the skin can be pushed back together, and then sealed.

Within about 5 - 10 minutes we had my new wound closed and the bleeding had stopped.

Overall, I am impressed by how fast dermabond sealed my wound. Its a little sore this morning, but there has not been and bleeding in almost 24 hours - not even any small leakage of blood. The wound has been sealed for 20 hours now.

I have even taken a shower this morning, used the closed wound to shampoo my hair and washed my hands before I ate dinner last night,, there was no stinging and no blood coming from the wound.

[TNPetite.45]

It is good stuff - we keep some on hand around the house and in our BOBs as well.

[SSFD 21]

We use Dermabond in the ER a lot. Problem with it is, it can be expensive. Go to the hardware store, get super glue. Works just as well.

[WyomingMedic]

As SSFD 21 said, go get some super glue. It is almost exactly the same thing. I carry Dermabond as I have ready access to it, but if I did not, I would carry the super glue.

As a side note, one of the companies that makes skin adhesives is well known. Loc-tite.

WM

[kahn]

Originally Posted by SSFD 21

We use Dermabond in the ER a lot. Problem with it is, it can be expensive. Go to the hardware store, get super glue. Works just as well.

Yup he's right.

[Woody Creature]

I use it on superficial type things (semi-deep paper cuts, hangnails etc). Works great. I would caution you against using it for deep cuts that happen in the field and may be dirty. The last thing you want to do is make a water tight seal over bacteria. Same principle as for not stiching up puncture sites from a dog bite.

[lugnut]

My brother and I both fight (mma). Cuts on the head happen and they bleed a lot. Dermabond seals them up good.

[jfirebalrog]

I agree on the super glue,but if you want the dermabond :
http://www.chinookmed.com/cgi-bin/it...--------------

[greasetrap]

Love the stuff, but as stated superglue works really well. Hard to explain that superglue is safe superficially though in my experience because everyone has seen someone superglue their fingers together or something like that (guilty myself), But they are much more willing when its an emergency. Good to have on hand but personally use the glue. I also want to get some quick clot, which is also very expensive but great to have on hand- esp when people are on blood thinners like coumadin.

[jkc]

Dermabond=crazy glue is pretty right on. I have seen an ER doc in the field use crazy glue in a pinch first hand. (The field was a baseball field nothing tactical or cool)

[SSFD 21]

Quick clot is good stuff, however I would only use it in extreme circumstances. Major wound far from medical help and such. Reason being, what goes in a wound, has to come back out before it can be closed. That equals scrubbing a wound and washing all that stuff back out.

[FarmerJohn]

dermabond is superglue
they are both CYANOACRYLATE
just ones "human use" approved
so they charge an arm and a leg for it

[FarmerJohn]

Originally Posted by SSFD 21

Quick clot is good stuff, however I would only use it in extreme circumstances. Major wound far from medical help and such. Reason being, what goes in a wound, has to come back out before it can be closed. That equals scrubbing a wound and washing all that stuff back out.

quick clot also cauterizes the wound so unless you want some nasty burns and make a bad problem worse i would recomend avoiding it unless its massive bleeding

[singingtothewheat]

Woody is right on target. Superglue/dermabond is great on small rather insignificant cuts. However, butterfly sutures work about the same and can be removed if needed. If you superglue a cut and its infected it's going to be worse.

[kev]

Yesterday I decided to look through amazon to see if I order some dermabond. That stuff is outrageously priced, its something like $10 a tube - forget that.

[jfirebalrog]

Originally Posted by kev

Yesterday I decided to look through amazon to see if I order some dermabond. That stuff is outrageously priced, its something like $10 a tube - forget that.

That's actually a really good price.Normally its more like 30.I think our local ER charges 100.

[SSFD 21]

Thats what we charge at ours as well.

[jfirebalrog]

Originally Posted by SSFD 21

Thats what we charge at ours as well.

I'd almost bet that is the medicare allowable amount.I guess they try to make up for what they don't get paid elsewhere though.

[The Saint]

My last surgery the surgeon used something like that to close the outside of the wound.

sent me home the next day with no bandage just this plastic looking goo on my stomach. About 15 days later it stared to come off and the wound healed fine with no infection.

I don’t think I could have kept the site clean if it were stitches or staples as well as the goo did.

It has sold me.

[greasetrap]

DErmabond has that really nice applicator that helps to spread it too.