ZipStitch

Just discovered this –

skip to 1:15

A cute idea, but are they being just a bit too fancy?
To be sure, all the other instructions are good, but is their fancy closure needed?

We have closed up far worse wounds than that with narrow strips of surgical Micropore tape, with excellent results. Look up ‘butterfly closures’ to see what I mean. The advantage of using general purpose surgical tape rather than a custom unit is the flexibility in scope and wound size. A Zipstitch is one size: what do you do when the wound is twice the size of the Zipstich shown?

I am not trying to be negative, just practical.

Cheers

A Zipstitch is one size: what do you do when the wound is twice the size of the Zipstich shown?

Just like using multiple butterfly bandages – use two end-to-end? If you mean twice the width – I’d be reluctant to close a wound much larger than the gap in a ZipStitch.

$30 for one ZipStitch will buy a LOT of butterfly bandages or surgical tape.

https://zipstitch.us/products/zipstitch-laceration-kit

Yet another overpriced hospital product maker trying to expand their market. Amazon reviewers agree:

No thanks.

— Rex

Kind of a neat idea but I would like to see it deployed on a more serious wound. If the wound in the video were mine, it would get a good washing, antibiotic ointment, and a band aid at most.

I like surgical tape and glue. Haven’t had much luck with butterfly bandages – mostly due to adhesive problems. Fortunately for me, most of my experience dealing with backcountry emergencies has been on others.

Maybe this sticks better than butterfly bandages. I’m not sure they are better than any other way of treating a wound. More like somebody came up with some patent and made a product that seems pretty cool, but is probably mostly unnecessary.

whadiwannaknow is…who wounded himself for the vid? ya think the inventor did?

You can buy ‘wounds’ like that from eBay. They just stick on. Add fake blood for extra . . . something.

Cheers

<p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>He needs zipstitch on that neck.</p>

How to Make a Butterfly Bandage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5Lsw4bsjrQ&feature=youtu.be

Duplicate Post.  Sorry.

Most of us probably carry some duct tape and dental floss – I have what I need in my repair kit to make Duct Tape Sutures in the field.  The other video I had seen simply used dental floss instead of the toothpicks as a guard against the floss/string pulling through the stitch holes in the duct tape.  Thankfully I’ve never had to do this, but my plan would be to maintain pressure on the wound while I prepared the duct tape closure.  The other thing I’d do a little differently than this video would be to have my stitches go back and forth between the two sides, using the toothpick as the rip-stop.  The stitching technique he shows in this video has a side-stitch in the duct tape on each side that I fear would tear if using something fine like dental floss.  I couldn’t find the original link that gave me this idea.

Note:  I don’t normally hike alone.  I think if I were to do a solo trip I might prepare one of these in advance.  If I did that I’d probably use a toothpick as shown in the video.

I think I’ll stick with wound closure strips and a little tincture of benzoin.

I think the difference between the two is that the Suture Strip you show above requires that you hold the two “sides” of the wound together while you apply it and the duct tape solution will pull the two sides together for you.  CLYW (Close Your Own Wound)…

Thanks Greg.

I also carry a small clotting bandage.

Also most people fail to carry at least one pair of Nitrile sanitary gloves in their 1st aid kit. I consider them essential and I feel they give patients more peace of mind that you know what you are doing when you wear them while treating the wound. Or maybe it’s the Ski Patroller in me talking…

Medicos in hospitals wear gloves for two main reasons. First, because most hospitals have a vast excess of really dangerous bacteria floating around. You don’t get MRSA in the bush; you get it in hospitals.
Second, to avoid transferring any bacteria from one patient to another. Gone are the days when doctors would perform major surgery or deliver babies in their street clothes.

Will touching a wound with your bare hands in the bush create any significant problems? Well, I have handled plenty of wounds in the bush, and I have never used gloves. The patients all survived – using their own skin defenses I would imagine.

Don’t get me wrong: hygiene is good, but you might get better results from washing your hands after going to the toilet – every time. Soap and water are wonderful things.

My 2c.
Cheers

Yeah, gloves aren’t really necessary. In the wild, there are a few bugs that can cause infections, some are serious, but not compared to a doctor’s office or hospital. The vast majority of infections/diseases are caused by more social type interactions.

A piece of duct tape works well for me. I would never carry a ZipStitch. Clean the surrounding area with a bit of alcohol dampened TP or two, let it dry elevating any wound to cut down bleeding, maybe clean it out well if it is a jagged, poke type injury,  place a fresh piece of alcohol dampened TP over the wound and pulling tight, insuring it will close the wound. Yes, clean hands are a good start.

I think the gloves are there to protect you, not the patient.

So, does anyone here carry Krazy Glue to close wounds?

Yes, mostly for blisters, though.

Gloves help protect both the patient from your germs and you from their germs. You don’t know what they have and vice-versa. Either one of you could have microscopic cuts just waiting for new residents. And just try keeping your hands away from mouth / nose / eyes for extended periods. Has nothing to do with cleanliness if you are around blood, mucus, etc.

As Eric said, gloves also provide extra assurance to a patient that you probably know what you are doing. I’ve had patients literally sigh and thank me for putting on gloves before treating them. Don’t underestimate the value of calming patients.

A pari of Costco large nitrile gloves weighs 9 grams and takes very little space in my first aid kit. And they look more professional and work way better than a pair of used Ziplocs.

Used to carry Krazy Glue but the tubes don’t last long, especially after opening. Fantastic for closing small cuts in toes and fingers from sand and rough rocks to prevent further injury.

HYOH.

— Rex

“I think the difference between the two is that the Suture Strip you show above requires that you hold the two “sides” of the wound together while you apply it”

The technique I was taught in NOLS WFA is to apply the wound closure strips in alternating pairs and then you pull them in opposition to each other closing the wound. This technique does require two hands (you couldn’t do it on your own forearm, for example).

I carry a mini Krazy glue. Good with blisters and small cuts on fingers or toes. I’d be apprehensive to close a wound with it for fear of enclosing infection. NOLS recommends blasting with an irrigation syringe and covering with Tegaderm or equivalent.

I carry nitrile gloves for my protection not for sterility when performing first aid. Nothing is sterile in the backcountry.