Wound closure

copied shamelessly from Oxford Handbook of EM

Anatomy Type of suture Time to removal
Scalp 2/0 or 3/0 non-absorbable
Glue
Staples
7 days
Trunk 3/0 non-absorbable 10 days
Limbs 4/0 non-absorbable 10 days
Hands 5/0 non-absorbable 10 days
Face 5/0 or 6/0 non-absorbable 3-5 days

Glue

  • Right wound: <5 cm, clean
  • <6h
    • if 6-12h, freshen wound edges
  • keep dry for 24-48h; expect to start falling off in 5 days

Steristrips

  • good for allowing exudate to escape
  • apply one at a time for better tension