Topical skin adhesives for laceration repair in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric emergency medicine
• Wound care
• Dermatology

Background:

• Pediatric lacerations are common, often presenting challenges due to patient anxiety and parental concerns.
• Traditional suturing may be difficult in children with needle phobia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical skin adhesives (TSAs) as an alternative to sutures for pediatric lacerations.
• To identify factors for appropriate selection of wounds for TSA application.

Main Methods:

• Review of clinical data on pediatric lacerations treated with TSAs versus sutures.
• Assessment of wound characteristics, complication rates, and cosmetic outcomes.

Main Results:

• TSAs achieve comparable outcomes to sutures in appropriately selected wounds.
• Appropriate lacerations for TSAs are small, superficial, well-cleaned, and have edges that are not under tension.
• Complications like infection and dehiscence are rare with TSAs.
• Cosmetic results are comparable to sutures.

Conclusions:

• Topical skin adhesives are a viable and beneficial alternative to sutures for specific pediatric lacerations.
• TSAs can reduce patient anxiety, save time, and eliminate the need for suture removal, leading to improved patient and parent satisfaction.