Would a Doctor Realistically Suture a Wound In His Own Home?

July 3, 2004 6:15 PM

calling all doctors: how likely or unlikely is it that a doctor would suture a wound in his home rather than driving someone to a hospital?

If it's something that might be done, can anyone detail the process? e.g., what might be used for anesthetic, what kind of thread and needle might be used, is there a particular kind of stitch most often used, how deeply do stitches go, how much bleeding is there usually, etc. I know staples are gaining popularity in ERs these days, but what can you MDs tell me about sewing... (yes, fiction project, many thanks...)

posted by mdn to Health & Fitness (12 answers total)

If it's an ER doc or surgeon, maybe, but doubtful? Otherwise, I think most doctors that don't suture very often would probably take the person to the ER, if it's bleeding bad enough to require stitches. (Most doctors would probably just say "Oh, keep putting pressure on it, it'll stop," unless it's really bad.)

Most doctors don't have a needle or sutures or sterile gauze or saline at their homes. Is this a "make a suture from household materials" question?
posted by gramcracker at 6:27 PM on July 3, 2004

I can see how a jack-of-all trades type GP found in small towns may have no problem doing something like this, but it's highly unlikely that most doctors have the right tools within reach at home. If I remember correctly (and I'll check with my sister, the budding doctor, to corroborate), the needle used for suturing is not your average sewing type, it is curved.

Plus, if the wound isn't life-threatening, a doctor would be far more likely to throw on the infamous butterfly bandage to close a wound if suturing supplies weren't available.
posted by contessa at 6:59 PM on July 3, 2004

Let me put this a little more strongly than previous posters have: a doctor would have to have an extremely compelling reason to suture a wound anywhere other than in a hospital or at least clinic setting. In addition to the suturing itself, extensive preliminary wound cleaning is necessary and, depending upon the agent and nature of the injury, x-ray might be required to make sure there are no foreign bodies left in surrounding flesh. In other words, anything serious enough to require suturing as opposed to just stopping bleeding and approximating the edges with some form of taping would be best performed with the support of a clinical setting. In fact, nearly nothing is so urgent that it cannot be stabilized for transport to a proper facility. Suturing is not a field treatment. Your justification to do otherwise must arise from plot factors, not medical treatment protocols, and that doctor's going to be under pressure.

For details of the process, why not call your local ER or emergency clinic and explain why you're doing the research and ask to come speak with them and observe? Until you have seen it and discussed it, it's not likely you'll have enough of a grasp to portray this well. A late-night shift, especially on a holiday, will give you plenty of exposure.

Then, once you have written, find a sharp ER nurse or EMT to edit you for accuracy.
posted by salt at 7:12 PM on July 3, 2004

YMMV, but my mom was a nurse for 25 years, and we ALWAYS had suturing needles and thread in the house along with betadine, a magnifying glass, and gauze/tape. Any time we had a cut deep enough to continue bleeding for a little too long, my mom would suture it closed. We used to hide our cuts from mom so she wouldn't offer to suture them closed. I could see why you wouldn't want to do it for a non-relative that might sue you, but we kids were the recipients of all kinds of at-home medical treatments. I'm sure many doctor's kids would tell you the same.
posted by answergrape at 7:18 PM on July 3, 2004

I have a friend who has a scar just above one of his eyes. His brother has a scar which is nearly identical. Late one night, they and the rest of the kids in the neighborhood were playing hide-and-seek or something similar. One of the brothers found the other in the dark and gave chase. The chase led through a local playground. The playground featured pull-up bars in several heights to accomodate puller-uppers of various ages. In the darkness, my friend failed to see the child-sized bar and sprinted right into it. Moments later, his brother did the same. They spent the next several minutes lying on their backs next to each other, moaning, bleeding into the woodchips and wondering what had happened. When they were able to move again, they headed home.

My friend's father is a doctor. When they staggered into the house, bleeding everywhere, he sat them down and stitched the wounds shut. This implies to me that (a) doctors can and will suture in as hoc situations and (b) they often do have the tools to do so close at hand.

This was a fun question to answer.
posted by speedo at 10:20 PM on July 3, 2004

A few years ago I managed to get an ugly cut on my shin, and so went to my GPs office. Without much fanfare he sewed it up. Sure, this was a 'clinic' setting, but there was nothing that would have prevented this from happening at home.
posted by Goofyy at 10:31 PM on July 3, 2004

I can see how a jack-of-all trades type GP found in small towns may have no problem doing something like this, but it's highly unlikely that most doctors have the right tools within reach at home. If I remember correctly (and I'll check with my sister, the budding doctor, to corroborate), the needle used for suturing is not your average sewing type, it is curved.

Suture needles come attached to the suture thread in packets (as well as separate), so it doesn't seem unlikely to me that a doctor might have a packet or two of needle/thread sutures at home.
posted by biscotti at 7:57 AM on July 4, 2004

A friend of mine suffered a cut hand in a duelling accident (don't ask) and we were told by the A&E department at the local hospital that there would be a six hour wait for treatment (!), so we took him to a local GP who did the job in his office in 5 minutes. He seemed to have all the requisite equipment to hand and had no qualms about getting the job done.
posted by prentiz at 8:38 AM on July 4, 2004

"a duelling accident?" <smirk>
posted by baylink at 9:48 AM on July 4, 2004

The playground featured pull-up bars in several heights to accomodate puller-uppers of various ages. In the darkness, my friend failed to see the child-sized bar and sprinted right into it. Moments later, his brother did the same.

So that's how the joke started.
posted by hootch at 9:56 AM on July 4, 2004

My grandfather is a doctor, and he has sutured himself and several of his children and grandchildren at his kitchen table on numerous occasions. He has also removed moles and ingrown toenails at the same location.

Suturing is a piece of cake and requires almost no equipment. On the other hand, it's often a huge pain in the ass to go to an emergency room.
posted by LittleMissCranky at 3:23 PM on July 4, 2004

My neighbour is also a Doctor (late night emergency ward kind,) and has sutured me up plenty of times for crashing into things and generally being clumsy. He has always had all kinds of medical do-dads all over his place and his children and I got the best of care.
posted by Lizc at 9:43 PM on July 4, 2004