Tissue bonding: the bacteriological properties of a commercially-available cyanoacrylate adhesive

The medical use of cyanoacrylate adhesives for tissue bonding is well established, and their use for tacking skin grafts into place is a regular procedure, for which purpose their case and speed of use seems highly advantageous. As medical grade cyanoacrylate tissue adhesives are fairly expensive, the bacteriological safety of using a commercially-available over-the-counter cyanoacrylate adhesive was investigated. The product was found to be sterile when purchased and remained so during use and between patients. There was also some evidence of bacteriostatic properties. These investigations suggest that the commercially-available product is bacteriologically acceptable, and at approximately 28% of the cost of the medical grade product would show considerable cost savings.