That Ought to Hold Them

To safely immobilize children for suturing of forehead lacerations, try the "Superman cape" technique. Tell the patient you are going to give him a cape like Superman's. Place both arms, up to the armpits, into the open end of a pillowcase behind the child's back. When the child lies on the pillowcase with the arms at the sides, the arms are effectively immobilized. You can next tell the patient you are going to give him a mask like Batman's just before you place the fenestrated sterile towel over the face.

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