The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Is this method used, or just invented by hollywood?

SamD · December 6, 2005, 08:43 PM

I'm sure some bozo has done it in the past but many practices from the past have been abandoned. Cauterizing is still done on some wounds and tissues but not nearly like in the past.

Completely closing deep wounds is something seldom done. It leads to abcesses. That is why the multitude of little spaghetti tube sized drains are left in deep wounds. In the past a piece of horsehair would be used for the same purpose, ie. leave an route for infectious crud to leak out.
You want bleeding to stop but you do not want the top sealed, or to heal first unless you are absolutely certain there is no foeign material or infectious matter in the wound.

Sam

December 6, 2005, 08:43 PM	#21
SamD Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2004 Location: Nueva Mexico Posts: 166	I'm sure some bozo has done it in the past but many practices from the past have been abandoned. Cauterizing is still done on some wounds and tissues but not nearly like in the past. Completely closing deep wounds is something seldom done. It leads to abcesses. That is why the multitude of little spaghetti tube sized drains are left in deep wounds. In the past a piece of horsehair would be used for the same purpose, ie. leave an route for infectious crud to leak out. You want bleeding to stop but you do not want the top sealed, or to heal first unless you are absolutely certain there is no foeign material or infectious matter in the wound. Sam __________________ "It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards"