Dermabond is it really just colored Super Glue?

[doctorjj]

OK, bringing back a long dead thread… After I got the bill from Stillwater Medical Center for $700+ for applying a $30 tube of Dermabond I did a little research just to see if there really was a difference.

First: Super Glue is ethyl cyanacrylate & Dermabond is octyl cyanoacrylate so yes there is a difference. Butyl cyanoacrylate was used as a tissue adhesive before Dermabond came along and is still used for Vet-Med and other things.

Long story short, minus the dye, LocTITE Glass Super Glue “n-butyl cyanoacrylate” appears to be similar to products used before Dermabond, it’s $2.82 at Home Depot and can be had local instead of $30. It is also the only Super Glue I could find that was not ethyl cyanacrylate based. You can very easily look up these MSDS sheets.

I have read that Dermabond has something added to make it more flexible and its stronger than the older n-butyl cyanoacrylates. I do believe that to be a factual statement comparing the two from actual E.R. trips OUCH!

Looking at the MSDS for 3M(TM) Vetbond Tissue Adhesive 1469, its active ingredient is you guessed it… N-butyl cyanoacrylate the same as Loctite ® Glass Glue from Home Depot. It's probably not that simple though.

What does all that mean? You decide I’m not a Doctor and I’m darn sure not giving any advice. ; ) As for me I think I'll order the real Dermabond online, keep that in my home first aid kit and throw the cheap stuff in my hunting kit.

I would really appreciate input from Doctors who might actually know something about the subject.

You got that input here: http://www.okshooters.com/showthrea...d-Super-Glue&p=1385703&viewfull=1#post1385703

 

[rlongnt]

You got that input here: http://www.okshooters.com/showthrea...d-Super-Glue&p=1385703&viewfull=1#post1385703

Sure enough, I missed the single most important post in the thread. Thanks.

 

[doctorjj]

Sure enough, I missed the single most important post in the thread. Thanks.

Hey, no prob. If you can't find any real dermabond at a good price to keep on hand, let me know.

 

[Lurkerinthewoods]

I suffered from dry cracking skin for years. One night I couldn't stand it any longer and out of desperation I applied a liberal amount of hand lotion and put a pair of nitrile gloves on overnight when I went to bed. Haven't suffered in the last 2 years.

 

[Glocktogo]

OK, I consider this thread to be bad juju. I posted my thoughts and less than an hour later, I have a sizable gash (but shallow) on my left index finger. Time to break out the Superglue!

 

[tRidiot]

Document with pics and healing evidence for the doubters!

I did it just a couple of weeks back when I gouged a chunk out of my finger while cleaning the wheels on my truck.

 

[inactive]

The worst part is these little cuts and skin cracks are unbearably painful, whereas I sometimes get a comparatively large cut or cash and don't even notice it until I notice the blood running down my arm or leg.

Funny how that works.

 

[UnSafe]

Back from the dead, indeed.

Dermabond, Skin Stitch and other commercially available cyanoacrylate wound adhesives have a flex agent added to improve durability for the 5-7 day typical span of use. Applying petrolium based antimicrobial ointments will loosen the bond and cause the adhesive to peel/ loosen earlier.

As far as wintertime dry hand cracking leading to big snivels as we laced boots on frozen desert pre dawn mornings back in the Army days- Using the thickest, greasiest hand lotion whenever we had the chance reduced the amount of cracking. I liked Hydrous Lanolin. The Mech Infantry guys all had big pump top jugs of Aafees hand lotion in their Bradleys. Even Govt. Crisco works.

Once cracked and bleeding daily, we'd clean as good as conditions allow (Lick out finger cracks until kind of clean, dry on whatever looks clean) and carefully slop Superglue into and on the cracks. Looks like hell after a few weeks of continued gluing, but prevents the tears and blood dribbles all over your clothes.

 

[EhlerDave]

My daughter and I have Ehler-Danlos syndrome.

We have odd skin, it wont hold stitches. The glue works great. Just clean the cut and dry it off then pull the sides shut and glue over the top.

I have been doing this for many years, my daughter cut her forehead, Mom freaks out, so off to the ER we go. They busted out the green glue and fixed her right up.