Lifespan's A - Z Health Information Library

This is poisoning caused by an overdose of cyanoacrylate, a sticky substance found in various glues.

Cyanoacrylates

• Skin tissue sticks together 

Wash exposed areas with warm water immediately. If the glue gets on the eyelids, try to keep the 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 on the eye or tongue.

Determine the following information:

• The patient's age, weight, and condition
• The name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
• The time it occurred
• The part of the body affected

Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. They will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. Take the glue container with you to the emergency room.

It should be possible to separate the skin that is stuck together, as long as the material was not swallowed. Most eyelids separate on their own in 1 to 4 days.