Education

Procedures for Use of ACell Vet™ Products in Wound Care Applications

Note: The following procedures pertain to the use of ACell Vet™ products in superficial wounds, not surgical wounds.

This information sheet is intended to offer familiarization with ACell Vet™ products and is not a substitute for reading, understanding, and adhering to the instructions included with the product. ACell Vet™ is continually improving its products and the implementation characteristics may vary in later releases of the product.

Q1. Does the wound need any treatment before placing the ACell Vet™ product?

A1. Simply wash the wound with sterile saline. Almost all other cleaning or disinfectant solutions will de-nature (i.e., kill) the proteins in the ACell Vet™ product, and therefore should be avoided if at all possible. The concomitant use of other products may interfere with the efficacy of the ACell Vet™ material. If other products are used to clean and/or debride the wound, it is very important that they be very thoroughly rinsed from the wound site prior to placement of the ACell Vet™ material.

The following is a list of some common solutions that may denature the proteins in the ACell Vet™ material:

Alcohol or any alcohol based solution
Detergents and soaps (e.g., Zepharin)
Iodine containing products (e.g., Betadine)
Any product with Silver nitrate (e.g., Silvadiene or other metalo bases)
Hydrogen peroxide, Dakin’s Soln. (bleach) Chlorine
Cortisone based products (e.g., topical anti-inflammatory medications)

Also, try to avoid direct contact between the ACell Vet™ bioscaffold and topical antibiotics, particularly amino glycosides and products that contain sulfa, etc. There should not be any need for additional antibiotics unless gross contamination and infection are present.

Q2. Does the wound need to be debrided?

A2. Only dead tissue, eschar, scarring along the edge of a wound, or flesh which has a foreign body(ies) imbedded (e.g., dirt, stones, gravel, etc.) need to be debrided. All animals which have dead tissue and/or a foreign body in the wound will produce enzymes to break down that material. Those enzymes also kill protein, including the ACell Vet™ material. If there is exudate, it should be washed away or manually removed with saline and forceps.

Q3. What about debriding the wound between dressings or during the dressing change?

A3. Any residual ACell Vet™ material should be left alone. Do not remove it. Residual ACell Vet™ material in the center of the wound can look like a non-infectious purulent discharge. Do not debride this material, as it supports new cells growing at the site. Any spots of remaining dead tissue or scar should be removed before placing the second sheet of the ACell Vet™ product on the wound. Only sterile saline should be used for cleansing the wound. Place a new piece of the ACell Vet™ bioscaffold directly over the old piece and cover to the edge of the wound.

Q4. What kind of dressing should be used over the ACell Vet™ material?

A4. We currently advise placing saline soaked gauze over the ACell Vet™ material to keep the site moist. Over the gauze, place Opsite™, Telfa™ or another relatively impervious film (we also recommend Silastic™). However, do not place these films in direct contact with the ACell Vet™ scaffold. If the wound needs a pressure dressing, use gauze fluffs and then some kind of wrap material to hold in place.

Try to avoid dressings that will stick to the wound. It is important when removing the dressing to avoid removing any of the ACell Vet™ material or new cells at the wound site. The following is a list of some dressings that should be avoided:

Orthopaedic felt
Foam padding (rubber or synthetic)
Rubber sheeting
Cellophane
Any cellulose based product

Q5. How often should a new piece of the ACell Vet™ material be placed on an open surface wound?

A5. A new dressing of saline soaked gauze should be applied 3-4 days after the initial treatment, taking care not to remove any of the ACell Vet™ material with the original dressing. The dressing should be changed again in another 4-5 days with consideration given for a second application of ACell Vet™ material. If the healing of the wound is progressing (see Q6) simply re-dress with saline soaked gauze and continue this procedure every 4-5 days. A second application of ACell Vet™ material should be considered 2-3 weeks following the initial treatment, if not applied during a previous change of dressing.

Q6. How do I know if the ACell Vet™ treatment is working?

A6. Animals become comfortable within first 24 hours and stop licking or agitating the wound. Localized heat, swelling and redness decrease markedly at the first dressing change. Exudate slows down or stops. Epithelization begins to be apparent in the center of the wound rather than just at the edges.

Q7. How long will it take for the wound to heal?

A7. There is no typical wound. Such issues as size, species, chronicity of the wound, infection, depth, and other medical co-morbid conditions such as diabetes play a role in the time it takes to heal. Fresh wounds treated before infection occurs may heal in 2-3 weeks. Older chronic wounds may take 2-3 months. How long the ACell Vet™ product is used depends on progress, not time. If the wound is healing, then treatment should continue.

For more information, contact Technical & Custom Service at 1-800-826-2926 or info@acell.com