How to Suture a Wound
He requires stitches, but the nearest doctor is a day’s drive away; fortunately, you have a suturing kit in your first-aid kit and know how to sew him up.
What Is Suturing?
Suturing is a fancy way of saying stitches, and it’s when you use a sterilized needle and thread to sew a severe wound together, with the goal of bringing all the layers of tissue together so the damaged wound can begin to heal. Sutures are used when a wound is deep and gaping.
DIY Suturing Should Only Be Done in Real Emergencies
If you have a gaping wound, use butterfly bandages and gauze to close it up; suturing should only be used in an emergency. If you can’t get to a doctor, here’s how to do it yourself.
Suturing Supplies
To suture a wound properly and effectively, you’ll need a suturing kit, which includes a needle driver, tissue forceps, scissors, and a sterilized needle and thread, as well as sterilizing alcohol wipes.
How to Practice Suturing
There are a few ways to practice suturing without a wound. I learned how to suture on a flap of pig belly. Chicken with the skin is also good for practice because it’s more like human skin. Suture pads are inexpensive and can be used multiple times. Use tissue forceps to expose the side of the wound you’ll begin the suture on.
Do scalp lacerations need stitches?
A scalp laceration may require stitches or staples, or it may be closed with a hair positioning technique such as braiding. Because the scalp has so many blood vessels, scalp cuts often result in a lot of bleeding.
How deep does a head wound need stitches?
If the cut is deeper than a quarter-inch, the cut was made by a dirty or rusty object, and/or there is a risk of infection, or fat, muscle, bone, or other deep body structures are visible due to the wound, stitches or other medical treatment may be required.
How do you treat head stitches?
What options do you have for self-care at home?
- Wash around the cut twice a day after the first 24 to 48 hours, avoiding hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing.
- You can cover the cut with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline.
- Apply more petroleum jelly as needed.
How do you cover up stitches on your head?
Stitches and Staples: How to Look After Them
- For the first day, keep the wound bandaged and dry.
- After the first day, wash the area around the wound twice a day with clean water.
- You can cover the wound with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and a nonstick bandage.
- Apply more petroleum jelly and replace the bandage as needed.
Will a laceration heal without stitches?
Because the risk of infection from stitching it at this time is too great, your wound was not stitched. If the wound is spread open, it will heal by filling in from the bottom and sides. It may take 1 to 4 weeks for a wound that has not been stitched to heal, depending on the size of the opening.
How do you fix a scalp laceration?
Although suturing is the preferred method for laceration repair, tissue adhesives are comparable in terms of patient satisfaction, infection rates, and scarring risk in areas with low skin tension and may be more cost-effective. The tissue adhesive hair apposition technique is also effective in repairing scalp lacerations.
Can you stitch a wound after 48 hours?
Re-suturing is rarely done after 48 hours (except on the face), but the sutured wound can be reinforced with tape after 48 hours. Cut is closed, but suture has come out early. The wound should heal up fine without any further treatment.
When does a cut need stitches child?
If a cut is still bleeding after 5 minutes of pressure, is gaping or wide, or appears deep, your child may need stitches.
How many stitches does a 1 inch cut need?
6 stitches per inch on average.
What do infected stitches look like?
Swelling, a feeling of warmth, or pain on or around the stitches. tender and swollen lymph nodes closest to the location of the stitches. pain when they touch the stitches or move the injured area.
Can I shower with stitches on my head?
Surgical wounds can be wet after 48 hours without increasing the risk of infection; after this time, you can get your stitches wet briefly with a light spray (for example, in the shower), but not soaked (for example, in the bath), and make sure to pat the area dry.
Is Vaseline good for stitches?
To aid in the healing of the injured skin, apply petroleum jelly to the wound to keep it moist. Petroleum jelly prevents the wound from drying out and forming a scab, which takes longer to heal, and it also prevents the scar from becoming too large, deep, or itchy.
Should I leave stitches uncovered?
Protect your stitches with a bandage for 24 to 48 hours, or as directed. Do not bump or hit the suture area, as this may cause the wound to open. Do not trim or shorten the ends of your stitches.
Do stitches hurt when they are healing?
Pain at the incision site is normal, and it will subside as the wound heals. The majority of the pain and soreness where the skin was cut should go away by the time the stitches or staples are removed, but soreness and pain from deeper tissues may last another week or two.
How long do stitches in head take to heal?
Stitches on your head must be returned within 3 to 5 days; stitches over joints, such as your knees or elbows, must be returned within 10 to 14 days; stitches on other parts of your body must be returned within 7 to 10 days.