Minor Field Surgery Instruments

Discussion in 'Survival Medicine' started by chelloveck, Nov 2, 2010.


  1. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

    I was helping my ex with some minor maintenance to her home, and I happened to notice a haemostatic clamp (aka arterial forceps) among her stuff. I asked her about it stirring her about bringing her work home with her. She said, "oh..it was an oversight....the things are single use and it should have been binned." I looked at the forceps and shook my head. Thrown away??? There it was, a precision stainless steel surgical instrument. I asked her if it was autoclaved, would it be useable, and she replied that it would be. That blew me away, and got me to thinking. It would be a nice start to a field surgury kit.

    I may not have the training or competence to use the instrument myself, but the situation may arise that someone who has the training may be able to, and may need such an instrument....to save my or someone else's life. I figure that it would be better to have something that is purpose built for a specific job than have to improvise something with a little bush engineering, at least as far as something for doctoring is concerned.

    I asked her if I could have it....and she said...."sure", but looking a little puzzled, she said, "what are you going to do with it?" Thinking quick, I said... "Oh, tying fishing flies." She knows that I like fishing, but that I had never gone fly fishing....She just shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, as If she just thought me the madman (that I actually am) and went about what she was doing....I almost left it at that but just said... "Oh, the fishing magazine suggested that Kelly Forceps were the best ones to use". Hopefully I may find other windfalls.
     
  2. skipm

    skipm Monkey+

    The use of disposable instruments like the one you encountered in emergency depts. is quite common. Most commonly found are disposable suture kits. They usually have small scissors, a pair of hemostats and a needle driver (think short billed heavy duty hemostat) that could be used in a kit like you describe. I have a friend that is an ER nurse and she sometimes gets some for me, often unused (part of the set was used and the rest wasn't). Another source for instruments is a veterinary supply catalog.
     
  3. VisuTrac

    VisuTrac Ваша мать носит военные ботинки Site Supporter+++

    ok this is going to sound bad, but how about those staple guns that boar hunters use to staple/suture their hounds after they have been torn up by the boars tusks.

    it's faster than stitching. OUCH!
     
  4. Suerto

    Suerto Monkey+

    They also have the mini-field medic packs at army-surplus stores.. Picked one up last week..
     
  5. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker

    i like super glue for most small stuff... sutures for bigger stuff...
     
  6. Suerto

    Suerto Monkey+

    I've heard of using SG before.. Not trying to be a smart-eleck, but uh, what would be the largest "small" application you would use SG for?

    Like up to how many inches in length and how deep? have you had any personal experience with the application of SG? Any adverse side effects if in contact with the blood stream? Or below the epidermal layers?

    Thanks again WD..
     
  7. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker

    Superglue was designed to seal minor shrapnal woulnd in Nam... most shallow cuts i'd clean with peroxide and seal with glue if it's deeper i might soak a cut rubberband in iodine for a drain and seal it... if it's really deep and would require internal stiching i wouldn't use glue on the inner tissues... basically most cuts around 1/4 inch deep i would be tempted to glue with a drain anything shallower i would glue but leave an end open... I'm no surgeon or doctor but have used it many times personally on wire cuts, knife cuts etc... nothing really deep...

    hope this helps
     
  8. VisuTrac

    VisuTrac Ваша мать носит военные ботинки Site Supporter+++

  9. Suerto

    Suerto Monkey+

    Yep, helps put it in context WD, got some in our BOBs.. Thanks
     
  10. Quigley_Sharps

    Quigley_Sharps The Badministrator Administrator Founding Member

    I used it once on a 4x4 inch cut on my dogs leg that was and upside down L shape I left the bottom 1/2 inch open for draining and it healed nicely.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:eek:ffice:eek:ffice" />
    I have used it on myself for blister on my feet in the woods, stings a bit at first but then harden’s and then is good to go.
     
  11. sweetshrub

    sweetshrub Monkey+

    I have several suture kits in my bag but if you don't have access to medical supplies, you can always take a regular sewing needle and bend it in a gentle curve with pliers. It works better than trying to use a straight needle. Use small diameter dental floss for suture material. Another great thing to have in your bag is a tube or two of anesthetic cream. CVS sells one that I use for minor burns that takes the pain away quickly. I do not work for CVS. (grin)
     
  12. I've read that the latest information from the medical community is that you aren't supposed to put peroxide on wounds. It used to be Betadine they said that about, because its supposedly cytotoxic (I guess you can put it on the skin to kill germs, just not in n open wound), but now they are saying that double-blind tests show peroxide inhibits wound healing slightly (i.e. is more prone to leave subtle scarring).

    I don't know how much stock I put in that as I've lost time of the number of times the "latest information" changes over the years about various things (wine, cholesterol, etc....) where the researchers go back and forth saying its bad for you, then it's good for you according to some revised study, then its back to being bad for you again due to a revised study of a revised study.

    I noticed a lot of guys have both those items in their IFAKs and Level I - III medical kits. I figure if people have been using peroxide for decades and the world hasn't come to an end, it'll work just fine in a pinch. And even if it does inhibit wound healing some imperceptibly slight amount, perhaps it's a trade-off, as you may have more pressing concerns to worry about if you are in an emergency situation anyway.
     
  13. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    If what i was told is correct, while it does help clean the wound, it also kills the surface cells of the wound, thus making the wound just a little larger, but cleaner. i was using it on my own wound, and was advised to stop, and use a triple-antibiotic ointment after cleaning.
     
  14. Illini Warrior

    Illini Warrior Illini Warrior

    jollyrodger13 likes this.
  15. -06

    -06 Monkey+++

    Was an EMT/Fireman for about 25 yrs and have accumulated a very adequate "first aid" kit. Most of the "tools" came from an ER nurse friend who salvaged left over and disposable things. IVs mostly came from my SF friend along with some other goodies. Picked up dozens of sealed bandages/etc at a flea market last year to add to the collection. Hope they never are needed and get passed down to the next generation.
     
    jollyrodger13 and kellory like this.
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