RE: [Philmont]: Suture Kit

OK. I do not want to beat this to death because all sides have seemingly
weighed in so I will give a non-related Health Lodge story.

Last year I burnt myself after completing my trek and had second degree
burns on my right thumb. I went to the health lodge where someone from the
medical staff introduced himself and said, "I am a fourth year medical
student from Kansas and I have never treated a burn. But I am studying
oncology and know how to treat pain." He left the room and a doctor showed
up for a nanosecond. Then the fourth year student returned with four
percasets offering me two of them. I told him that I do not like drugs but
insisted on me taking at least 1 pill. Well, in an hour, I had absolutely
no pain in any part of my body!!! Even the sore places on my feet had no
pain when walking!!! The crew commented that I was a bit giddy. When I was
at the advisor's lounge calling my wife and telling her what had happened
and what the wonder drug "percaset" had done, the advisor next to me leaned
over and asked if I had an extra one for him!!!

For the purists, the fourth year medical student did cover the wound with
neosporin and bandage it properly. When my personal physisian reviewed his
work, my doctor was pleased with what the University of Kansas student did
had done.

I hope this ends the suture kit thread!!!

Off to Philmont tomorrow!!!

Wally Feurtado
Philmont Training Coordinator
National Capital Area Council

-----Original Message-----
From: Wade Steenburgh [mailto:steenburgh@letterboxes.org]
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2003 3:28 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list philmont
Subject: RE: [Philmont]: Suture Kit

On Mon, 23 Jun 2003 12:22:00 -0400, "Feurtado, Walter (Contractor)"
<Walter.Feurtado@ed.gov> said:
> do chuckle a bit because the original question was raised by someone
> representing a PHYSICIAN who wanted to know if a suture kit would be wise
> in the back country.

I've learned from personal experience not to trust emergency medical work
performed by someone, simply because they are a PHYSICIAN. I've had the
unfortunate experience of a doctor closing a wound on a boy without
properly cleaning the wound. This doctor was a surgeon. But not a
practitioner in emergency medicine. When I ran across the boy the next
day, the wound was very red and sore. We took the boy in for treatment
at the local family practice where the wound was cleaned. Unfortunately
at this late point in time it could not be sutured. I believe the
protocol is that it must be sutured in the first eight hours. After
that, the risk of infection is high and other means must be used to seal
the wound.

If it looks like it might need stitches, it probably should be checked
out by someone who does it for a living.

-- 
  Wade Steenburgh
  steenburgh@letterboxes.org
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As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
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