I get a lot of questions from remote travelers about wound closure in the field. They ask about stapling and suturing. Those skills are useful, but honestly most lay practitioners would be better off using steri-strips or glue to close wounds.
Check out the article linked below. It provides one of the best tutorials I’ve seen about how to close wounds using glue. Since the article has been released, there has been new research that has been published about using the common cyanoacrylate (Super-Glue or Crazy Glue) glues on human skin.
All cyanoacrylate glues are antibacterial. The new research indicated that the over-the-counter version of these glues may sting more, but will work almost as well as the surgical Dermabond. Your hardware store superglue will not harm tissue and will hold about one day less than the premium tissue adhesives.
If you are planning on adding glue to your first aid kit, I would advise buying the “gel” form of the product. I find it easier to use than the liquid.
The Complete Guide to Using Super Glue for Cuts
And speaking about austere medicine, you may also want to read this article about the best way to sterilize medical instruments in the field.
