I recently had a visit to the ER and had some stitches put in my hand. After receiving the bill of almost $1500, I decided that having a good surgical kit on hand would be a good idea. I've looked online a little bit, but every surgical kit I've found has only a few sutures, if any. I looked around a bit for hospital supply boxes of sutures, only to find that there is seemingly a huge range of types. So I figure this would be a good topic for the survival forum.

Does anybody have medical experience with the various types of sutures on the market? Another question is I've found websites offering "out-of-date" sutures for "veterinary use only" and was wondering about the safety of these as an option in a survival situation(considering who knows how long after sitx you may need some stitches)..

ANY and ALL advice or links to info on this would be greatly appreciated.

Like the previous poster said, medical staples are easier and less prone to infection. Pretty cheap too.

As for getting sutures for extreme emergencies, try a veterinary supply company.

Better read up on suturing and the types and uses of materials. Lots of information out there.

My husband works on major traumas and orthopedic injuries, and keeps me up to date on the latest things, so here's something good.

More and more adhesives are being used instead of stitches. Superglue can even be used in a pinch.

It stings, however, so be prepared. There are OTC medical adhesives, but they don't typically stick well.

Tegaderm is the very best for immediate waterproof coverage of a large wound. It is a thin, comfortable plastic membrane. Clean the wound as much as possible (alcohol can be poured directly in), dry the surrounding skin, and get it sealed. This bandage is clear and can be left in place for quite some time, sealing in fluids and promoting healing while protecting completely.

Antibiotics will be quite important, as well. People can heal from the most heinous wounds, but infection is the dealbreaker.

Educate yourself now on what to do, what to look for, and what can help.

Honey is the very best ointment for killing germs and promoting healing in wounds, and is showing great results for helping with problem wounds that just won't heal.


A combination of honey and superglue could make the difference. The honey should be eaten as well as placed on the wound, btw.

The previous posters covered pretty much everything but I do have one thing to add. IN a survival situation irrigating a wound with sterile water might prove an impossible task. The water must be microfiltered or boiled to kill bacteria. If you have that, put a small hole in a plastic bag and use the stream from the hole to clean the wound thoroughly.
If you don't have sterile water you can use your urine for the job. Preferably straight from the tap as it were.
Natural coverings for wound include puffball spores, white pine bark and mashed leaves of Plantain (Plantago major or minor), not the fruit but the weed. Plantain is great for burns and insect stings as well.
As for being able to stitch myself I'm not sure I could do it. I'd be looking pretty hard for the superglue.
At the rate things are going your chance of getting an infection from a hospital treatment are very good. If you can do the same at home you might save more than money, perhaps even a limb.

Excellent content from everybody!
I've always been a believer in super glue to treat wounds, but I've never heard of Tagaderm. I'll have to look into that.

Copperflower: I've also used honey to treat burns, with amazing success. You mentioned that you should eat the honey as well as apply it to the wound. I would also like to add that I've been told that it's important to make sure the honey you use on your wound and the honey you eat are from the same batch. I'm not sure why though.

Asktheanimals: Thanks for the excellent advice, although I'll avoid cleaning my wounds Bear Grylls style unless I absolutely have to. I also want to thank you for your massive contributions to the survival forum here. You seem to be a fountain of this type of information and I'd like you to know it's not being taken for granted. ATS is what it is because of members like you.

Great thread to all...
I would like to add something that is overlooked far too much. In any good B.O.B. you have some form of tape in there, be it duct tape, electrical tape, or some form of medical tape. I kid you not but there is something in the adhesive in electrical tape that does wonders for small to medium depth cuts, I have been using it for years in my profession. I have never had an infection after using electrical tape for any of my wounds but as other posters have stated make sure to clean out your wound before attempting to dress it.

Some years ago, I recieved a severe laceration to the web of my hand between my thumb and forefinger. It was very deep, to the center of my hand, but missed every major nerve and artery. I recal the doctor saying as he stitched me up that he was leaving alot of space( over a quarter of an inch in some places) for such a deep wound to "weep" or drain infected fluids. The muscle between my thumb and forefinger was completely and cleanly severed, and the Doctor stated that it is useless to stitch muscle as it's "like stitching hamburger".

Of course several liters of saline solution were used to "flush" the wound along with a few ounces of alcohol before the sutures, but time proved the Doc correct when I noticed large clumps of clear, hard, infectious fluid buildup at the wide spaces between the sutures.

I was also on antibiotic medication during my recovery, and told not to get my wound wet for two weeks.(sterile alcohol wipe, but no water)

It is my assumption that flushing a wound with saline solution(contact lense care) then rubbing alcohol, then sterile sutures (needle by fire and dental floss even), leaving enough space for the wound to "weep", and reluctance to saturate the wound with water, ALONG with some type of antibiotic herb (help me out somebody) you should be able to take care of most injuries requiring just sutures.

On a side note, the Dr. checked for nerve damage by bending a paperclip into two points, between 1 half and 1 qurter inch apart, and applying pressure to the affected area, and proceded to ask me(of course I wasn't allowd to peek) "1 or 2". One end or two. If I got the 1 half inch ones right, we proceded to the 1 quarter inch ones. If I got most of them right, no significant nerve damage.

OP- any large sporting goods retailer (ie: Cabelas) sells an emergency staple kit for a very good price (less than $20.00 USD). They are simple to use, and, when used with aseptic technique, provide a very limited risk of infection.

Unfortunately, in a majority of scenarios discussed, definitive medical care will not be readily available (if at all). There are several excellent texts on simple surgical proceedures and wound care available on amazon.com. Read up!