I am having a difficult time visualizing a situation where I would have to suture someone. Actually, I can't think of any.

If you want to sew on someone, do it on yourself, then you're sure to know where to place the blame. Take everyone else to a doctor.

If you don't clean the wound properly, you will be enclosing filth in the wound. If you touch the needle or suture material with dirty hands, or drag it across non-sterile material, you'll be contaminating the wound with the needle and/or suture material.

If skin was removed during the injury (like a bullet crease, for example), in an area where the skin is normally fairly tight, you could be causing more problems by trying to close skin that shouldn't be closed completely.

Just clean the wound as well as you can, put a bandage over it, and wrap it snugly but not too tight. If your patient/victim complains of numbness, or fingers or toes are swelling, etc, it's too tight.

I also understand that if you are wrapping a hand or foot firmly to help stop bleeding, you should wrap the WHOLE hand or foot. Don't wrap the wound tightly and leave the fingers and toes exposed, and turn the bandage into a tourniquet.

Sue