Santyl and wet to dry

[jlynn2303]

Hi has anyone heard of using santyl as part of a wet to dry dressing? As in applying the santyl then putting wet gauze over it then covering it with a foam dressing?!

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

I'm no wound certified nurse but that seems strange and counterintuitive.

[poopylala, BSN, RN]

We do santyl, xeroform, and wet to dry dressing over that

[Dorali, BSN, LPN, RN]

That's how we do it, but I'm not sure what the rationale is behind it. I will ask & find out though. I do know that when we put the gauze on, it's just barely damp.

[vampiregirl, BSN, RN]

I'm guessing these are wounds with fairly dry wound beds. Santyl requires moisture to activate the collagenase enzymes.

Interesting stuff! This is one product that I found it really helpful when the sales rep gave an inservice at the SNF I worked at when I first encountered it. Applying the appropriate amount of product, being careful to make sure it's applied only to the wound bed where debridement was necessary and ensuring it had adequate moisture to work were all things that made a huge difference in the wound outcomes that I was using it on.

Lots of good info on the website: Collagenase SANTYL® Ointment | The Continuous, Active Micro-debrider