Medical Uses for Duct Tape

Duct tape is another one of those things that I'd never ever used before meeting my husband.  My dad could do all kinds of home repairs, but he was always working, so I never saw him use duct tape for anything.  My step-father was definitely the type to hire out repair jobs.  So I had no clue that duct tape could fix just about anything.  And it belongs in the medical kit along with all the other medical tapes.  There are a whole lot of ways to use it in an emergency to substitute for something else.  And in some cases, duct tape is the first choice tool for the job.  Every medical kit should have a couple of feet or even a whole roll.

SKIN
Now most people have heard of using duct tape to remove warts and calluses.  But really, isn't that some kind of urban myth?

Actually, it isn't.  A clinical study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed the efficacy of using duct tape to remove warts.  And it was more effective than commercial products.  Bizarre.

Anyway, this is how you use it:

• Cut a small circle of duct tape and apply it over the wart.  
• Wear the duct tape wart remover for six days, and then remove it.
• Soak the affected area in water.
• Sand it with an emery board.
• Repeat this process until the wart is gone.  It may take up to two months.

Use duct tape to prevent blisters from forming and protect those that have already formed.

• If you've got a hot spot and are concerned that the friction is going to cause a blister, cover the affected area with duct tape to prevent blister formation.
• If a blister has already formed, cover the blister with a bit of tissue or gauze or paper and then cover the paper with duct tape.  Do not permit the duct tape to come into contact with the blister.

Splinters can be easily removed by soaking the skin in Epsom salts for thirty minutes to bring the sliver closer to the surface.  Dry the skin and apply the duct tape over the splinter.  Leave the tape on for thirty minutes, and then slowly peel it away.  The splinter should come right out with the tape.

Duct tape can even be used to help prevent frostbite on exposed skin.  Simply tear off small strips to cover the nose, cheeks, earlobes, or fingers.  It's not fashionable, and certainly not the first choice, but if you've got nothing else, give it a try.

WOUNDS
Using duct tape as a bandage or to hold a bandage in place is really not the best idea.  The adhesive in duct tape is latex-based and may cause a reaction in those with allergies to latex.  Even if the individual is not allergic to duct tape, it can cause a reaction and it will definitely hurt when removed from hairy skin.  It's always best to use medical tape when it's available.  But if it isn't, duct tape will do the job.

While duct tape is often promoted as being just as good as Steri-strips of butterfly bandages, again it shouldn't be used in this situation unless there really is no other option.   The adhesive in duct tape is very effective and there's the risk of damaging tissue further when the tape is removed.

If it's a sizeable laceration that needs to be closed, using a duct tape suture will be a better option than placing thin strips of duct tape over the wound.  With a duct tape suture, the adhesive is farther removed from the wound.  There is also less risk of re-opening the wound when the tape is removed.  And the tape doesn't actually come into contact with the wound, so there is less chance of contaminating the wound. 

ORTHOPEDICS
Duct tape is the tool to have for making a brace for cracked ribs.  Have the patient pull on a well-fitted T-shirt and then wrap the tape tightly around the shirt to make a sturdy brace.

Duct tape can be combined with SAM splints, cardboard, Popsicle sticks, or twigs or branches, to fashion splints.  If you apply duct tape directly to the SAM splint, you'll remove the foam cushioning.  If possible, protect the SAM splint with a layer of paper or cloth.  

If someone has suffered an ankle sprain, duct tape can be wrapped around the shoe and ankle to help stabilize the joint.  Of course, it is much better for the patient to get off the foot and rest, but if that's not an option and the sprain isn't too severe, this works well.  

PEST CONTROL
Dut tape does a great job of repairing mosquito netting.  Strips can also be hung like flypaper to eliminate flies, mosquitoes, and other flying pests. 

DISEASE
Use duct tape to seal off a patient room to prevent the transmission of airborne illnesses.  In the event of nuclear radiation, duct tape and plastic would be used to seal off the windows and doors of your home.

Hospitals have started using red duct tape on the floor to mark the area where medical personnel may stand in the room of a patient with a highly contagious disease without having to take protective measures like wearing masks and gloves and washing up.  It's actually improved care because doctors can quickly check on a patient more frequently and easily. 

WARDROBE MALFUNCTIONS
Most often our wardrobe malfunctions are going to involve needing a shoe repair or possibly some additional insulation that could be provided by wrapping the shoe in duct tape.  However, sometimes when a serious injury occurs, clothing needs to be cut away to begin treatment.  A careful provider in an austere environment will consider this before cutting away clothing.  Removing clothing from an injured patient increases the risk of hypothermia and making a bad situation worse.  If you've got duct tape, you can tape the clothing back together.  No, it won't be good as new, but it'll suffice.

If you've got a really big kit and the space for it, you can just throw a regular roll of duct tape in there, but it will probably be way more than you need.  What most medics do is to carry a small duckling or two (check them out on Amazon if you've never seen them--they're pretty cute).  The other option, and one that was most often used before ducklings appeared on the scene, was to tear off two to three feet of regular duct tape and then roll it up (roll or flat-fold), and put it in a Ziploc bag to keep it clean.  If you're likely to be dealing with children, you can get fun prints or colors to make a traumatic event a little less scary. 


Links to related posts:
Tapes and Wraps
Duct Tape Suture in a Straw
Quarantine and Isolation, part 2
SAM Splints 

For further reading:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/203979
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325734.php

 4.28.20