How to Stitch a Wound
A few tips from Dr. Luanne Freer, founder of the Everest Base Camp Medical Clinic.
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Here are the basics on what you need to know:
Step by Step Process of How to Stitch a Wound
1. Assess the Situation
Attempt only if evacuation isn’t an option. If you screw up, you could cause permanent tissue damage and a nasty infection.
2. Clean the Wound
Irrigate the wound with boiled water—you can use a plastic bag with a hole poked in it—and then scrub with soap.
3. Sanitize Your Materials
Sterilize your needle and thread.
4. Stitch It Up
Start stitching. You generally want the stitches spaced a quarter-inch from each other and from the skin edges, which should just barely touch. (The skin shouldn’t pucker.)
5. Tie It Off
Tie the suture with a surgeon’s knot off to the side so it doesn’t touch the wound.
6. Treat and Cover the Wound
Treat with antibacterial ointment and cover with a clean bandage.