Emergency and Urgent Care - Wound Closure Glue/Steristrips

Glue

Please follow this general advice:

• Your wound has been closed using special medical adhesive
• The overall appearance can be described as resembling a dry scab. It should be treated like a scab and NOT BE PICKED! Picking the scab will remove the glue and reopen the wound
• Your wound should be kept dry for the first 5 days. Excessive movement of the wound site should be avoided during the early period
• The glue will come away from the skin of its own accord within approximately ten days, just like a normal scab. By this time the wound should be sufficiently healed
• The scar will take approximately 6 months to fade
• There is no need to seek further medical assistance unless bleeding occurs or if the wound looks very red, swollen or infected. In this case contact your GP or the Emergency Department

Steristrips

Please follow this general advice:

• Your wound has been repaired with steristrips (sometimes called butterfly stitches)
• Steristrips securely hold the edges of your wound together
• The wound must be kept dry for the first 5 days. Excessive movement of the wound site should be avoided during this early period
• Steristrips can be removed after 7 days, this should be done by wetting/soaking the strips and gently peeling them off
• There is no need to seek further medical assistance unless bleeding occurs or if the wound looks very red, you experience increasing pain, or it appears swollen or infected. In this case contact your GP or the Emergency Department