I ordered sutures just in case,but I don't know the differance implied here.There's a 0 surgiline(3.5 metric),a2-0 plain gut(3.5 metric),a 3-0 deknatel vascular & intest.!!!!!,a 4-0(2 metric),and a 5-0 silk(1 metric).Is there a certian size I should use for differant applications?I'm pretty sure I won't be dabbling in vascular or intestinal surgery any time soon!

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), August 07, 1999

Answers

Zoobie, Where did you order the sutures from? It is one of the preps I've been procrastinating on. I'm sure a source may have been listed previously, but if so I missed it. Thanks!

-- Gus (y2kk@usa.net), August 07, 1999.

cheaper than dirt.took about 10 days.cheaperthandirt.com

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), August 07, 1999.

Can get sutures and hemostats thru Jeffer's Vet Supply 1-800-533- 3377. In general chromic sutures 2-0 or 3-0 used internally. Vicryl 3-0 or 4-0 used on skin and silk is for skin. Had ten years as scrub nurse but sure wouldn't want to sew anyone up. Butterfly bandages can handle many types of cuts and without medical care deep wounds are going to be a challenge to keep from infection. Because we can get this type of medical supply doesn't mean we should use them without appropriate training.

-- MUTTI (windance @train.missouri.org), August 07, 1999.

Mutti...you are right. I have done a lot of stitching in my life, but in the long run, if you don't know what you are doing and don't understand the layers of tissue and the ramifications of closing it up, you are probably better off with a few butter flys where you can see more easily what is going on with the wound. Most open wounds will eventually heal even if not closed. Of course you get bad scars. But if its TEOTWAWKI, who cares? Better to spend your money on some super glue and butter flies and lots of hydrogen peroxide and some 7% iodine bought at a farm store.

Taz

-- Taz (Tassie@aol.com), August 07, 1999.

god knows I wouldn't want to use these things unless I HAD to.gross.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), August 07, 1999.

3-0 4-0 5-0 nylon Ethicon good for skin. Same sizes of Vicryl absorbable as subcutaneous, or intra oral sutures. Can use silk in the mouth. As sub q or skin suture you get a lot of inflamatory reaction and the silk spits from the wound over time. I sew people up for a living in the ED.

-- kozak (kozak@formerusaf.guv), August 07, 1999.

Excellent advice from everyone,zoob, the only thing I would add is that if you have to fix a big animal/big part of you, use big enough stock to make sure your stiches won't break under stress.(visualize a leg tendon on a horse. about the size of 5/8" garden hose and and stronger than steel cable. Your job as the caretaker is to sew both ends of a 5/8th inch "hose" back into one continuous hose.

The one time I've seen this done was on an elk hunt by a CCU/CICU/transplant nurse who took our hound-dog suture stuff and saved a horse's life. It really wasn't a big deal for her, but she knew just how big and how much stress gets put on a tendon on a horse, so she was pretty redundant in her work.

(that was also the neatest bit of sewing I've ever seen, sewing both halves of a hose back together while it's twitching was pretty impressive!)

So, Zoob, if you gotta sew yourself up, what I learned is, make sure your suture material is strong enough to take the stress of regular activity.

-- Roger (pecosrog@earthlink.net), August 08, 1999.

Thanks,all.I surely hope I never need to use them,but since zoobiette and I are bugging out to a wilderness area in new mexico for lack of better options,it seems best to have them.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), August 08, 1999.