Some tips on how to suture skin wounds.

1. Position patient comfortably
2. Open sterile tray and add extras (saline, sutures, LA supplies)
3. Put on sterile gloves and draw up LA
4. Place sterile drape under injured part (e.g., arm, hand) if applicable
5. Crumple gauze into ring forceps, dip into saline, and gently cleanse the edges of the wound and surrounding area in enlarging concentric circles
6. Anesthetize the wound as appropriate and allow time for (and verify) effect
7. Cleanse the wound as appropriate (+/- irrigation, scrubbing, debridement)
8. Examine the numb wound for ?surprises?: tendon lacerations, depth, foreign bodies, etc.
9. Apply needle pressure vertically to start; push along needle axis - bent needles shows wrong torsion
10. Insert needle same distance from edge of wound, as depth that you plan to go down to
11. Push needle out skin exit with slight jerk
12. Good needle track angles will obviate need for mattress sutures and will prevent inverted wound edges
13. Use minimum number of sutures possible to still make skin edges appose each other fully.
14. When knot tying, use least suture tension possible to still make skin edges appose each other fully
15. The first two throws in knot tying do most of the work. A third throw to lock. Anything more is unnecessary.
16. Cut suture ends to same length as distance between sutures - this prevents knot tangling

Source: www.pocketsnips.org