Super Glue As Wound Dressing?

Really?????? Okay, I feel stupid enough for paying an obscene amount for mustard, but in my defense, it is awfully good. So, I'm in the kitchen with a piece of baguette and I can't get the Mustard container open. Being the only one home, I grab the nearest tool, which happens to be a very sharp serrated knife. I know this is not the tool for the job, but in a moment of extreme what-was-I-thinkingness, I use the knife to try to pry the lid from the crock.

The top cracks under the pressure, freeing the knife to serrate my lovely left hand! I can't believe I have actually done this, or for that matter, that I am sharing this, but I immediately put my wounded hand in my mouth (a reflex? or just to stop myself from swearing?).

So here's my question: What would you do (if you weren't very bright, like me) - 1. Go to the doctor to get stitches? 2. Try Super Glue to keep the nearly one inch long, all the way through the skin gash closed? 3. Ask your Gather friends to weigh in? :)

Comments: 17

Debbie W. Oct 21, 2009, 11:33pm EDT

I have heard about the super glue thing, but I think I would opt to go get the stitches.

Debbie W. Oct 21, 2009, 11:34pm EDT

P.S. Hope you heal up quick-ouch

Lisa Keating Oct 22, 2009, 12:16pm EDT

Thanks! I've really had to baby my left hand.

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Michelle K. Oct 21, 2009, 11:47pm EDT

I had that same thing happen with my son. He sliced his finger on a can while I bent down to get the pot out of the cabinet. I took him to the E.R. (Sunday night) and they put glue on it. I was mad. I told the provider that I didn't think it would hold. Sure enough, it didn't and I called the Ped. Dr. the next morning. They said sealing the would in a timely matter was all that is necessary, cleaning it first with warm water and she advised putting more glue to close it, but agreed that considering his age and the location, glue wasn't probably enough for it to hold. I got the bill from the hospital, $800, the dr. $800. Don't go to the er if glueing it stops the bleeding. Especially if you don't have insurance.

Michelle K. Oct 21, 2009, 11:54pm EDT

Trying to talk on phone and type.. sorry... let me clean that up a bit. The nurse felt that given the wound was on the crack of his thumb knuckle, where it gets moved a lot, he probably should have had stitches, but normally glue is fine. THe important thing is sealing the wound, not really how it's sealed, and this needs to be done soon, after a good cleaning with water. SHe told me if I had waited neither the glue or the stitches wouldn't have helped, most likely. Her advice was that I could try to reglue it, but considering it had been open all night it probably would just heal as an open flap.

Lisa Keating Oct 22, 2009, 12:19pm EDT

Yikes! Thanks for your comments. I hope it heals quickly (without the flap - that sounds awful.)

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Janet H. Oct 22, 2009, 12:21am EDT

Just be careful you don't glue the fingers from your other hand to the wound!

Lisa Keating Oct 22, 2009, 12:19pm EDT

LOL

James B. Oct 23, 2009, 1:24am EDT

Superglue can start be great, but sometimes it starts off bad and goes down hill... everything one tries just ends up gluing one more thing to you...

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APE 131313 Oct 22, 2009, 1:08am EDT

My house is now full of opening 'aids' for everything.................miserable to not be able to open basic jars and even having to struggle with gripping the resealable zipper bags. Scissors hanging in every room...imagine! Easy to do something fooloish when you are in a hurry!

Lisa Keating Oct 22, 2009, 12:31pm EDT

Thanks for understanding. I'm in the Scissors In Every Room Club, too. In the kitchen I have a wall-mounted, magnetic knife rack to keep everything handy. Love my kitchen scissors!

APE 131313 Oct 22, 2009, 3:25pm EDT

Mind if I borrow the 'Scissors In Every Room Club' line? I think it would be interesting to find out what tricks others have found or used to solve this problem!