Gluesticks

is super glue good for sealing cuts?

last year my dad was stranded for 2 days in a car along a highway, accidentally cut himself really badly while starting a fire. and used super glue to seal his deep wound. is super glue a good idea to seal cuts with? isn't it toxic?

Public Comments

1. dont use super glue. the chemicals in the glue might infect your cut.
2. I've used super glue to seal cuts playing football, working on a car, camping, etc. Not as a first resort, mind you. But it does work, and I don't think that the toxicity would matter in such small amounts
3. You didn't say whether your father lived or died. If he lived and didn't bleed to death, then for him it was a good thing that apparently worked. Not sure if it is toxic or not, but don't inhale it.
4. I carry a tube of superglue with me in my first-aid kit. It's not an ideal solvent to put on your skin, but as a last resort it can be a god send for first-aiders. Athletes have been using it for years on injuries they get during training or just before their event. It has never harmed any of them. As a dancer, I've used it on cuts on my toes many times to stop myself bleeding onto shoes half way through performances. If you can get a plaster or bandage or some type of strapping always use that before resorting to superglue. But superglue stops infections and dirt getting into wounds and will hold the wound together until you get to a doctor. It's perfectly safe. Some head injuries are just glued together in the A&E because it will hold better with glue than with stitches. "If you've ever gotten any on your skin you know the clear adhesive drys fast and stays put. That keeps air and dirt out of the wound and that helps small skin cracks or small cuts, like a paper cut, heal. Eventually the glue wears off. It's thought that the chemical cyanoacrylate in the glue not only stops bleeding quickly but also lead to less scarring. Although, using super glue might work in a pinch, experts say it can irritate the skin, and should never be used on deep wounds. For a safer wound-healing glue consider Dermabond. This anti-bacterial form of the substance 2-octyl-cyanoacrylate is approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for skin wound closure. You can also use a semipermeable dressing (Tegaderm, Bioclusive or Second Skin, or New Skin for instance) to cover the wound and attach the dressing to dry healthy skin with adhesive tape. The dressing should be changed every few days. Keep the wound moist until it has healed. A moist environment promotes healing, improves tissue formation and protects the area from infection. " I never put superglue inside a wound, only on the edges to hold the wound together. At certain times as a first-aider when I know the wound isn't going to hold no matter how tight I strap it, I'll use a little bit of superglue before I strap it. I always make sure though if I'm calling for an ambulance, I let them know when the paramedics arrive that I've used a little bit of superglue so they know what they're dealing with. It can be toxic when ingested, but as a last resort if you've got nothing else you can use, a little bit of superglue on minor cuts and scrapes isn't going to kill you.
5. Superglue was invented to seal wounds! It was invented for the soldiers in veitnam to quickly repair wounds. Though I would not use the superglue available at stationary shops, I have wound glue in my ambulance and have even seen it used on a wounded deer!!!!
6. You can and it has been done before, however it is not recommended. This is because normal super glue has been developed over the years to be used for permanant sealing - making sure the epoxy-resin doesn't dissapear. You can however, get "skin-glue" which works in the same way (I've given you a link below for a provider). This is perfect for your requirements and is designed to deteriorate after a while to allow for natural mending. It is important to understand that any form of glue used on wounds should follow a few simple rules: 1) Try to only use on straight cuts (so there is less chance of permantly getting the healing process wrong and thus scarring or allowing for secondary infection) 2) Never use on deep wounds. There is a risk that your glue will seal off veins/arteries etc which in turn will have some rather serious concequences. 3) Always wait for the bleeding to have fully stopped. Again for fear that the glue will penetrate the vessels and also it won't work properly. 4) Avoid puncture wounds, animal bites, infected wounds and ulcers. Simply for the risk of secondary infection already taking place. If you seal up a wound that is potentially infected then the potential of that infection becoming worse is multiplied quite considerably. I used to carry super-glue in my medical kit a few years back and almost used it once. However the sheer strength of it meant that I nearly stuck my own fingers together before I started the job (I sutured the wound in the end). I now carry skin-glue and it works brilliantly. I hope this helps you.
7. For the record, super glue is an ingredient in the liquid bandage products that are used. It was an excellent idea for your dad to do that - disregard the answers that criticize this, it was a smart thing to do.
8. That's ok Superglue was fist used in the Vietnam war by the surgeons in the M.A.S.H Units to close the wounds on the men as it was quicker to get them through and of to the main hospital in nam. Its use now in hospitals today they use it in heart ops as it doesn't damage the heart.