Super glue as wound treatment and amputations.....
Okay, so, going behind a cut for possible ickiness.
So i read this very interesting article about Superglue being used during the Vietnam war to keep badly wounded soldiers from bleeding out. Especially chest wounds, it was hard to keep them from bleeding profusely and they had some kind of aerosol super glue to stop the bleeding.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2187/was-super-glue-invented-to-seal-battle-wounds-in-vietnam
My question is two-fold. If someone was injured badly enough in a post-apocalyptic scenario that they needed a just below or just above the knee amputation, (or right at the joint, if that would be easier) would something like Dermabond be appropriate for controlling bleeding of the stump? This site says that the commercially available kind is better for smaller incisions *but also* larger ones where subcutaneous stitches had been used.
http://www.aafp.org/afp/2000/0301/p1383.html
I'm wondering, if the characters have access to a pharmacy or clinic where they find this stuff, could they use it successfully? What if they just decided to coat the whole thing in regular old Krazy Glue from the dollar store? (My dad has used super glue and hot glue *a sg that heats up* to seal little cuts and cracked/split fingers all my life.)
Now, on amputations - not really sure if this is even google-able.... I've always thought that holding someone down while they scream and writhe as you slowly saw through their limb to perform an amputation was...kinda nuts. Takes a lot of time and effort and what if they start really bleeding? I'm wondering if it would be feasible/reasonable to say 'no way, we gotta do this fast' and have someone who is strong and steady use a very sharp axe, instead? Would it be too much trauma? Would the bone shatter? Would the axe not actually be big enough/heavy enough and it would take a couple of chops? Obviously, i'm talking the knee/knee-joint amputation here, still.
I'm going with destroyed civilization here and no hospitals available, or electricity so....thoughts?
(Googled axe and chainsaw amputations - not even a lot of accidental ones! also looked back to 2008 in the ~medicine: injuries (misc) tag and only found one entry dealing with amputation)
So i read this very interesting article about Superglue being used during the Vietnam war to keep badly wounded soldiers from bleeding out. Especially chest wounds, it was hard to keep them from bleeding profusely and they had some kind of aerosol super glue to stop the bleeding.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2187/was-super-glue-invented-to-seal-battle-wounds-in-vietnam
My question is two-fold. If someone was injured badly enough in a post-apocalyptic scenario that they needed a just below or just above the knee amputation, (or right at the joint, if that would be easier) would something like Dermabond be appropriate for controlling bleeding of the stump? This site says that the commercially available kind is better for smaller incisions *but also* larger ones where subcutaneous stitches had been used.
http://www.aafp.org/afp/2000/0301/p1383.html
I'm wondering, if the characters have access to a pharmacy or clinic where they find this stuff, could they use it successfully? What if they just decided to coat the whole thing in regular old Krazy Glue from the dollar store? (My dad has used super glue and hot glue *a sg that heats up* to seal little cuts and cracked/split fingers all my life.)
Now, on amputations - not really sure if this is even google-able.... I've always thought that holding someone down while they scream and writhe as you slowly saw through their limb to perform an amputation was...kinda nuts. Takes a lot of time and effort and what if they start really bleeding? I'm wondering if it would be feasible/reasonable to say 'no way, we gotta do this fast' and have someone who is strong and steady use a very sharp axe, instead? Would it be too much trauma? Would the bone shatter? Would the axe not actually be big enough/heavy enough and it would take a couple of chops? Obviously, i'm talking the knee/knee-joint amputation here, still.
I'm going with destroyed civilization here and no hospitals available, or electricity so....thoughts?
(Googled axe and chainsaw amputations - not even a lot of accidental ones! also looked back to 2008 in the ~medicine: injuries (misc) tag and only found one entry dealing with amputation)