BWCA How much booze does it take to clean a deep cut? Boundary Waters Listening Point - General Discussion
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      How much booze does it take to clean a deep cut?     

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SavageCamper
Guest Paddler
  
07/15/2018 07:27PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I always bring a versatile medical kit, but how does one clean a wound thoroughly on a trip?
I’ll preface this by saying I have an EMT license, but being in the bush is far different from the luxuries of a stocked EMS rig.
Soap and water only goes so far, and I’m not bringing copious amounts of hydrogen peroxide.

All of this would be to continiue on the trip so we wouldn’t have to leave due to a nagging laceration.

Whisky?
 
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Themagicone2
Guest Paddler
  
07/15/2018 07:53PM  
Would have to be Vodka. Any "colored" liquors have impurities and other stuff in it, not much but enough to be an issue I would think. Vodka is nothing but water and alcohol.
 
07/15/2018 08:41PM  
Themagicone2: "Would have to be Vodka. Any "colored" liquors have impurities and other stuff in it, not much but enough to be an issue I would think. Vodka is nothing but water and alcohol. "




I don't know... I've seen worms in vodka...
Haha!
 
07/15/2018 08:50PM  
There are little, tiny nalgene bottles that hold just 1 or 2 oz, and even have little syringe like tops. Could be filled with either hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, and weight very little. Seems like if a wound need much more than that, it might be time to head out.
 
ozarkpaddler
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07/15/2018 10:36PM  
I keep a few of these small bottles of Sure Cleanse. I keep 4-5 in my kit.
Sure Cleanse
 
Savage Voyageur
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07/15/2018 10:36PM  
nctry: "
Themagicone2: "Would have to be Vodka. Any "colored" liquors have impurities and other stuff in it, not much but enough to be an issue I would think. Vodka is nothing but water and alcohol. "
J



I don't know... I've seen worms in vodka...
Haha!"


I think your thinking about tequila, if not I’d be looking for a new brand of Vodka...
 
07/16/2018 03:03AM  
dont waste whiskey on that ! just colterize it.
 
KarlBAndersen1
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07/16/2018 06:50AM  
I would never put hydrogen peroxide or liquor on a wound anyway.
I carry an ear flushing squeeze bulb with me and simply flush any cuts I get with filtered water. Put on a little antibacterial cleanser and cover with suitable closure.
Heals quickly.
 
mjmkjun
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07/16/2018 06:57AM  
Is a pint of hydrogen peroxide a copious amount compared to a liter of booze?
 
07/16/2018 07:15AM  
Butterflies and povidone iodine.
 
arm2008
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07/16/2018 07:23AM  
I just took a Wilderness First Aid class, and their recommendation was to use an irrigation syringe with clean WATER, a lot, half a liter or more. Hydrogen Peroxide has largely been kicked to the curb for wound cleaning as it damages tissues.
 
inspector13
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07/16/2018 07:56AM  

Not one Tom Joad in this bunch?

 
HowardSprague
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07/16/2018 08:09AM  
on that note, what about good ole isopropyl rubbing alcohol?
 
07/16/2018 10:36AM  
I prefer to treat infection by flushing the wound with internal application of alcohol.
 
07/16/2018 10:37AM  
arm2008: "I just took a Wilderness First Aid class, and their recommendation was to use an irrigation syringe with clean WATER, a lot, half a liter or more. Hydrogen Peroxide has largely been kicked to the curb for wound cleaning as it damages tissues. "


This is exactly it. We were told to only use clean filtered water in our wilderness first aid class, and our class was taught by an er doctor.
 
DrBobDg
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07/16/2018 12:13PM  
Banksiana: "I prefer to treat infection by flushing the wound with internal application of alcohol."

Yep...that way you are treating it from the inside out....

:-)

dr bob
 
07/16/2018 04:25PM  
You’ve been watching too many episodes of Rawhide. Pouring good whiskey on a scratch these days would qualify for alcohol abuse. Definitely misuse. Gil Favor would kick your ass for that. As he should. Put it in a glass. Cheers.
 
OCDave
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07/16/2018 05:13PM  
Whiskey is far more effective at causing the nagging injury than treating it.

Besides, everyone known the proper treatment... "Just rub a little dirt on it" :)
 
07/16/2018 06:38PM  
I’m no doctor, but I would prescribe one bourbon, one scotch and one beer. To be taken orally. Piss on your arm. It’ll grow back.
 
07/16/2018 06:54PM  
Savage Voyageur: "
nctry: "
Themagicone2: "Would have to be Vodka. Any "colored" liquors have impurities and other stuff in it, not much but enough to be an issue I would think. Vodka is nothing but water and alcohol. "
J




I don't know... I've seen worms in vodka...
Haha!"



I think your thinking about tequila, if not I’d be looking for a new brand of Vodka..."




Awe yes, goes to show my drinking days a bit past... Haha.
So... Have at the vodka... Haha.
Although, the small bottle of hydrogen peroxide or that sure cleanse seem pretty adaquate. I can see your trip report... My friends leg was hanging by a thread. But we persevered on because quitting just isn't in or volcabulary. So we tossed a little dish water on the wound. Put a couple leeches Hoping they'd suck out the rest and away we went. As the doctor finished cutting off the rest of the leg he joked with us saying... If we'd have come right out I could have saved everything. My tripmates agreed, it just wasn't worth cutting our trip short a half a day...
 
07/16/2018 07:23PM  
One ounce Bourbon on the wound and 8 ounces in the mouth, then call me in the morning. ASG, Holiday Inn Resident.
 
07/16/2018 07:37PM  
Help me, am I getting this right, your friend lost a leg on a canoe trip, and you tried to save it by attaching leeches to it. I'm glad your doctor had a sense of humor. I might have lost mine by then. Dude, you are my bro, and I know you are hard core, but I'm stretching here. Like I said, help me out with this.
 
Savage Voyageur
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07/16/2018 08:19PM  
You should be reported to the rangers for Willfully Wasting Whiskey. Have the injured guy jump in the lake to clean out the wound. Then give the injured guy a few shots to make him feel better.
 
07/16/2018 09:03PM  
scat: "Help me, am I getting this right, your friend lost a leg on a canoe trip, and you tried to save it by attaching leeches to it. I'm glad your doctor had a sense of humor. I might have lost mine by then. Dude, you are my bro, and I know you are hard core, but I'm stretching here. Like I said, help me out with this. "

Ben was making a joke saying this is how the hypothetical trip report would read (following a misadventure in first aid).

As a medical professional with advanced wilderness life support training I can say the right thing to do is rinse well with potable water. Hydrogen peroxide and alcohol (whether ethyl or isopropyl) appear to be more toxic than helpful to the surrounding tissues.
 
jhb8426
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07/17/2018 12:02AM  
scat: "...one bourbon, one scotch and one beer..."


Love that song.
 
mjmkjun
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07/17/2018 03:39AM  
tg: "
scat: "Help me, am I getting this right, your friend lost a leg on a canoe trip, and you tried to save it by attaching leeches to it. I'm glad your doctor had a sense of humor. I might have lost mine by then. Dude, you are my bro, and I know you are hard core, but I'm stretching here. Like I said, help me out with this. "

Ben was making a joke saying this is how the hypothetical trip report would read (following a misadventure in first aid).


As a medical professional with advanced wilderness life support training I can say the right thing to do is rinse well with potable water. Hydrogen peroxide and alcohol (whether ethyl or isopropyl) appear to be more toxic than helpful to the surrounding tissues."


tg, after flushing well you would then apply iodine or a triple antibiotic ointment/cream before bandage? Simple FILTERED water sounds good to flush out wound of debris but nothing to combat potential infection? So, I'm curious about the next step after plain water flushing. Am old school and would have thought peroxide or alcohol would be best but this new recommendation of wilderness medicine has peaked my interest.
 
OldFingers57
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07/17/2018 05:51AM  
Get a 100 CC syringe with an 18 gauge angiocath or needle. Using clean water flush out the wound thoroughly. If you want to go lighter weight use a freezer ziplock bag and poke a small hole in it with a safety pin and squeeze it hard to flush with clean water.
Having worked in a hospital ER for 15 years you should not use certain things to clean a wound out as it can damage the tissue. Hydrogen peroxide is one of these. Yes it's fine for minor cuts and scrapes but just use clean filtered water or if you want to carry some normal saline. Some soaps are not recommended either as they leave a residue which can either damage tissue or lead to infection.
 
07/17/2018 08:03AM  
Yes, in canoe country you have plenty of good water to flush out a wound. Over the counter stuff and booze is good for surface wounds. Anything deep like the OP should be taken seriously and scrap the trip and get out. Kind of why I did the fake trip report. Very very important to take injuries serious. The BWCA is unique in my opinion because you never are more than a couple days from a given entry. Sorry scat... I wasn't serious, I was making light of a hypothetical situation. With the plb's becoming more popular I hope people are cautious about when to push the help button, but also not afraid to should a situation arise.
 
arm2008
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07/17/2018 08:35AM  

tg, after flushing well you would then apply iodine or a triple antibiotic ointment/cream before bandage? Simple FILTERED water sounds good to flush out wound of debris but nothing to combat potential infection? So, I'm curious about the next step after plain water flushing. Am old school and would have thought peroxide or alcohol would be best but this new recommendation of wilderness medicine has peaked my interest.
"


The debris is a primary way infection gets into a wound. Removing the debris goes a long way toward preventing infection. Water flushing the area will also help flush bacteria away. A triple antibiotic with bandaid would make sense, as would keeping the area clean.

Irrigation Syringe
 
BobDobbs
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07/17/2018 08:38AM  
about a half pint of whisky is what I used last time.

after drinking all that whisky it didn't hurt at all.

 
07/17/2018 01:00PM  
 
07/17/2018 01:00PM  
"Awe yes, goes to show my drinking days a bit past... Haha.
So... Have at the vodka... Haha.
Although, the small bottle of hydrogen peroxide or that sure cleanse seem pretty adaquate. I can see your trip report... My friends leg was hanging by a thread. But we persevered on because quitting just isn't in or volcabulary. So we tossed a little dish water on the wound. Put a couple leeches Hoping they'd suck out the rest and away we went. As the doctor finished cutting off the rest of the leg he joked with us saying... If we'd have come right out I could have saved everything. My tripmates agreed, it just wasn't worth cutting our trip short a half a day...""

Same thing happened to my buddy in Quetico but his leg came right off. We made him portage it. LNT.
 
07/17/2018 03:14PM  
Ok - I’m a knucklehead. Try fitting a BWCA.com hat on that.
Personally, I’m not pouring whiskey on anything but the bottom of a glass. Or ice in a glass. Simple as that.
Fun thread anyway. I love how so many people take it so serious. I put gorilla tape over a bandaid on a booboo last trip. That has to count for something. nctry should have had some gorilla tape for his buddy’s leg. Probably wouldn’t have needed the leech treatment then. Could have saved them for an omelet.
Cheers, scat
 
jhb8426
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07/17/2018 11:15PM  
scat: "...I put gorilla tape over a bandaid on a booboo last trip. That has to count for something..."


A guy I used to work with actually used a fish hook with some fine, low test fish line to stitch a gash in his leg. Had pictures of it so I believe it was real.
 
07/18/2018 08:08AM  
I take a sewing needle that my 10lb Fireline will fit through. Would work to fix rips in packs, portage pads, tents, tarps or skin. Although I hope to never have to do the "Rambo" field dressing.
 
07/18/2018 09:05AM  
mjmkjun:
tg, after flushing well you would then apply iodine or a triple antibiotic ointment/cream before bandage? Simple FILTERED water sounds good to flush out wound of debris but nothing to combat potential infection? So, I'm curious about the next step after plain water flushing. Am old school and would have thought peroxide or alcohol would be best but this new recommendation of wilderness medicine has peaked my interest.
"

if you have a triple antibiotic (and no allergies) go for it. otherwise next step would be just bandage to keep it clean. but keep an eye on the wound. if you notice its getting more red, draining or you start experiencing fevers, chills, nausea its time to get out of dodge. I don't routinely carry iodine.


tg
 
GearJunkie
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07/18/2018 07:17PM  
I only know how much booze it takes to not feel a deep cut
 
Savage Voyageur
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07/18/2018 07:29PM  
When I clean out a cut it takes me about three fingers full in a glass. Drink it down and go find a bandage.
 
Minnesotian
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07/19/2018 07:36AM  
AmarilloJim: "I take a sewing needle that my 10lb Fireline will fit through. Would work to fix rips in packs, portage pads, tents, tarps or skin. Although I hope to never have to do the "Rambo" field dressing."


Same here, taking the needle. Havn't had to use it on a human, but did have to do a tent improvement once.
 
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