# 'Crazy Glue'..Eye yi yi **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 28, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-glue-eye-yi-yi/305918 "2005-05-28T20:53:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-glue-eye-yi-yi/305918/1 "2005-05-28T20:53:51Z")
I was listening to my scanner last night, and an ambulance was sent to an address where a 5 year old boy had glued his eye shut with ‘Crazy Glue”. What would be done in the ER to rectify this situation? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-glue-eye-yi-yi/305918/2 "2005-05-28T21:28:25Z")
They carefully apply a slovent. It’s probably not all that uncommon a thing for them to see. Haj ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-glue-eye-yi-yi/305918/3 "2005-05-28T21:36:40Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > They carefully apply a slovent. It’s probably not all that uncommon a thing for them to see. > > Haj In communist Russia, slovent apply _you_! ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-glue-eye-yi-yi/305918/4 "2005-05-28T23:10:05Z")
> [@chaoticdonkey](#): > > In communist Russia, slovent apply _you_! But that was in 1960. And only for 20 minutes. A 1920s style death ray works much better. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-glue-eye-yi-yi/305918/5 "2005-05-29T02:10:50Z")
While acetone (found in old-style nail polish removers) is usually used to remove superglue, I have a hard time imagining that it would be used around the eyes. I suspect just warm saline. (The superglue only sticks to the topmost layer of dead skin and this might help the glued skin to slough off.) ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2005, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-glue-eye-yi-yi/305918/6 "2005-05-29T04:19:41Z")
Hopefully they’d sedate the little fella first before doing anything… ---
**Author:** ![BookReader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@BookReader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BookReader)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2005, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-glue-eye-yi-yi/305918/7 "2005-05-29T04:56:45Z")
> [@LorieSmurf](#): > > Hopefully they’d sedate the little fella first before doing anything… I suspect they’d have to, after all the ruckus; poor li’l guy would be scared to death! ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2005, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-glue-eye-yi-yi/305918/8 "2005-05-29T08:09:14Z")
From [drugs.com](http://www.drugs.com/enc/cyanoacrylates.html): > [@](#): > > **Home Care** > > Wash exposed areas with warm water immediately. If the glue is on eyelids, keep eyelids separated. If the eye becomes glued shut, seek emergency medical care immediately. > > Do not try to peel off the glue – sweat will accumulate under it and lift it off. If fingers or other skin surfaces are stuck together, use a gentle rolling motion to try to separate them. > > If these procedures do not work, use some acetone on the area, as long as it is not the eye or tongue. > > **Outlook (Prognosis)** > > It should be possible to separate the affected parts, as long as the material was not swallowed. Most eyelids separate on their own in 1 to 4 days. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Flowers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@Dead\_Flowers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Flowers)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-glue-eye-yi-yi/305918/9 "2005-05-30T02:55:38Z")
Generally an oil based opthalmic antibiotic is prescribed. It may take a few applications but eventually the superglue will break down. One can also wait until the skin cells slough themselves off naturally and the glue falls off, but few parents (or patients) are happy with this option. (“I came all the way here and waited all this time and you want me to do nothing? I’m calling your administrator”.)