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Use of Tissue Adhesive as a Field Expedient Barrier Dressing for Hand Wounds in Disaster Responders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2013

Matthew J. Levy  and
Nelson Tang
Matthew J. Levy*
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Baltimore, MarylandUSA
Nelson Tang
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Baltimore, MarylandUSA
*
Correspondence: Matthew J. Levy, DO, MSc Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine 5801 Smith Ave Davis Building, Suite 200 Baltimore MD, 21209 E-mail levy@jhmi.edu
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Abstract

Injuries sustained by disaster responders can impede the affected individuals’ ability to perform critical functions and often require the redirection of already scarce resources. Soft-tissue injuries to the hand are commonly experienced by disaster workers and even seemingly mild lacerations can pose the potential for significant complications in such hazard-filled environments. In this report, the authors describe their experience utilizing tissue adhesive to create a functional and effective barrier dressing for a hand injury sustained by a responder at the West, Texas USA fertilizer plant explosion. This technique of wound management allowed the patient to continue performing essential onsite functions for a sustained period following the explosion and the subsequent investigative processes. At the 30-day follow-up, the wound was well healed and without complications. This technique proved to be a valuable method of field expedient wound management and is worthy of consideration in similar future circumstances.

LevyMJ, TangN. Use of Tissue Adhesive as a Field Expedient Barrier Dressing for Hand Wounds in Disaster Responders. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(1):1-3.

Keywords

disaster responder injuriesextended operations medical carewound adhesive
Type
Brief Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 29 , Issue 1 , February 2014 , pp. 107 - 109
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2014 

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