CA for wound treatment?

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rincewind03060

rincewind03060

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Nashua, NH, USA.
I know that CA was originally developed for medical purposes during the Vietnam war, but the FDA wouldn't approve it so the manufacturer marketed it for industrial purposes.

So, I'm curious, has anyone ever used CA glue to glue their flesh back together after a shop mishap? Or even to just cover a scrape until it heals?
 
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I've had guitar and bass guitar students use CA to treat cracked callouses from playing, so that they could get thru a rehearsal or performance. It works great.
 
Not me personally; but there have been a number of posts by folks who have done so. It would be interesting to know if there is any significant difference between the medical grade stuff and what is on the shelf at Home Depot.

Any time a wound is serious enough to close with CA or sutures, infection is always a serious consideration. For me personally, any wound that requires more than a bandaid would be seen by a doctor.
 
I've used it for those little skin cracks I get on my fingers occasionally during winter, the ones that take forever to heal and can get VERY sensitive. So far none of said fingers have fallen off or become infected. So for small scale, it works well. Keeps the cracks from spreading, and allows them to heal much faster.

Dan
 
Actually, cyanoacrylate was discovered by Harry Coover at Eastman Kodak during World War II when searching for a way to make plastic gun-sight lenses. I had occasion to use it as a corpsman in the early 1970's. So far, I've not had any shop injuries which were serious enough to require it.
 
It has been (and may still be) used for holding internal organs in place by surgeons. There is a product on the market, that can be purchased over the counter, similar to CA that is used for closing serious wounds in an emergency. And, yes, it has been used for the purpose you ask about. CAVEAT: My son, an emergency room physician, strongly opposes use of such products by laymen. He says if a wound is glued closed there is a high probability of sealing in bacteria with resulting bad infections. He also says that most wounds can be controlled with compression until proper medical help is found. If a wound is so bad it cannot be controlled with compression, chances are gluing it closed won't help survival and you, very likely, will not get to the emergency room in time anyway. Don't do it.
 
Here is a link giving more medical information on the CA for wounds: http://www.emedicine.com/ent/TOPIC375.HTM

as it has been stated don't use CA for ANY wound that would require anything bigger than a band aid to close.

I have used it to close minor cuts and scrapes with out problem, but I have no current sensitivity to CA, those that do avoid it and have it on your medical records to.

I know a bunch of office workers that stand by it for paper cuts.
 
My skin on my chest was superglued back together as were the donor area of both legs where the veins were stripped when I had a triple bypass.
Myself and several other guys I know have used it for cuts and things in the shop, However, I was told by my primary doctor that the glue they use for surgery does not contain Cyanide,and I should use caution when putting cyanoacrylate on an open wound.
It seems to me that wounds heal quicker being glued, I was originally shown this by a flint knapper about 20 years ago, imagine how many cuts they get.
 
I'm a flintknapper and I keep a bottle in my knapping kit. I had some of the medical grade stuff, but it dried out and now I use the same stuff we use on pens, I prefer medium for gluing a finger tip slice.

I have a funny story about medical use of CA. Maybe 11-12 years ago my now 14 year old son got a skin split at the outside edge of his eye lid. I think his twin sister probably smacked him with something heavy, not really sure how it happened. The doctor decided this was a good application for medical glue. I think the medical supplies sales person had just dropped off some samples and she and the entire office staff were eager to see it work. Word got around in the clinic that she was going to use the glue and a couple other docs came in along with 5-6 other medical personel, they all wanted to see how it worked. She got it glued shut alright, she did a good job of that and it healed without a trace. But after she glued the cut he couldn't open his eyelid more than about 25%. When it became apparent that his eye was partially glued shut, the room cleared out, the other medical people didn't want their name associated with whatever might happen. He struggled on with a partially open eye for a few days and it finally wore off and everything was fine.
 
I'm a flintknapper and I keep a bottle in my knapping kit. I had some of the medical grade stuff, but it dried out and now I use the same stuff we use on pens, I prefer medium for gluing a finger tip slice.

I have a funny story about medical use of CA. Maybe 11-12 years ago my now 14 year old son got a skin split at the outside edge of his eye lid. I think his twin sister probably smacked him with something heavy, not really sure how it happened. The doctor decided this was a good application for medical glue. I think the medical supplies sales person had just dropped off some samples and she and the entire office staff were eager to see it work. Word got around in the clinic that she was going to use the glue and a couple other docs came in along with 5-6 other medical personel, they all wanted to see how it worked. She got it glued shut alright, she did a good job of that and it healed without a trace. But after she glued the cut he couldn't open his eyelid more than about 25%. When it became apparent that his eye was partially glued shut, the room cleared out, the other medical people didn't want their name associated with whatever might happen. He struggled on with a partially open eye for a few days and it finally wore off and everything was fine.
 
Originally posted by rincewind03060

I know that CA was originally developed for medical purposes during the Vietnam war, but the FDA wouldn't approve it so the manufacturer marketed it for industrial purposes.

So, I'm curious, has anyone ever used CA glue to glue their flesh back together after a shop mishap? Or even to just cover a scrape until it heals?
Click to expand...

Most every construction carpenter has a bottle for the cuts, splinters, and scrapes. When you're on the clock, you can't stop every time you get a cut. I've used CA after I tested the sharpness of my skew on my thumb! The skew *WAS* sharp!
 
I use it more for blisters and stuff. It works great if you shred a cotton ball into fibers to help support the glue as well, sorta like laminating a fiberglass patch over the booboo.
 
Yes, for small cuts. I think it works fairly well. You all might think this is gross but I read in an In-Fisherman mag once that the slime on the side of fish promotes healing. It supposedly contains over 60 compounds that promote healing. I got impaled with a hook once while fishing for northern pike in Canada and rubbed some of the pike slime in the wound. It healed up in about 2 days and never did really hurt. Don't follow my advice, ask your doctor.:D:D:D
 
Originally posted by rincewind03060

I know that CA was originally developed for medical purposes during the Vietnam war, but the FDA wouldn't approve it so the manufacturer marketed it for industrial purposes.

So, I'm curious, has anyone ever used CA glue to glue their flesh back together after a shop mishap? Or even to just cover a scrape until it heals?
Click to expand...

Standard first aid in my shop... if there's no blood in the work, it ain't mine.
 
I really don't think any of us are out to use CA to put a finger back on or use it for a major wound.

In my experience, and I am almost as old as Lou, :D there is nothing better for small cuts than CA. When I gave blood regularly, I always sealed the finger stick with thin CA and all sensitivity disappeared. As mentioned, it is great for paper cuts and the like.

Now if you get a sucking chest wound while reenacting the Revolutionary War (also known as big boys playing war games [}:)];) ) I would not recommend CA to close that wound.

FWIW, YMMV.
 
Originally posted by txbatons

I've had guitar and bass guitar students use CA to treat cracked callouses from playing, so that they could get thru a rehearsal or performance. It works great.
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the guitar player in our old bluegrass band had to do this a few times. he said it burned like hell for a second, but worked like magic. i think there's a product called nu-skin that is really similar to CA for that exact purpose.
 
Thank you all.
When I asked the question, I wasn't thinking of gluing limbs back on or sealing off arterial bleeding. ;)
I was thinking of the many times where I have gotten a shallow slice type wound that leaves a hanging flap of skin. A band-aid will sort of hold the flap down while it heals, but it always slips and as a result leaves a scar.
Next time I get a MINOR cut, I'll try CA instead of a band-aid.
 
Originally posted by rincewind03060


I was thinking of the many times where I have gotten a shallow slice type wound that leaves a hanging flap of skin.
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I have used CA glue very effectively on just this sort of cut. It holds the flap down and keeps it from getting snagged and pulled open. By the time the CA lets go, the cut is healed enough to keep itself shut.
 
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