Caring for People with Xylazine-Associated Wounds: Recommendations and Lessons Learned from Wound Care Clinicians in Philadelphia

This past year the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) worked with the SURGE program to develop recommendations for caring for individuals with xylazine-associated wounds. These recommendations were developed through a series of case discussions that brought together clinicians and health administrators to discuss best practices for providing care for people with xylazine-associated wounds in street, outpatient, inpatient, and methadone treatment settings. The recommendations will be published forthcoming.

The two-hour live event on January 8th will complement PDPH’s publication by bringing together frontline wound care clinicians who contributed to the development of the recommendations, as well as the perspective of an individual who has lived experience with xylazine-associated wounds. Content includes a description of the current epidemiology of xylazine in Philadelphia, an overview of the recommendations, and a panel discussion on the implications of these recommendations and lessons learned from developing the recommendations.

Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcud-murzooGNyWe5kJifltshIRunoaSePc

Continuing Education Credits Offered

Cost: None

Program Outline:

Clinical Recommendations Overview for Xylazine Associated Wounds

Division of Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction, Philadelphia Department of Public Health

• Daniel Teixeira da Silva, MD, MSHP, Medical Director
• Rachel Neuschatz, RN, MSN, Harm Reduction Wound Care Field Nurse
• Jewell Johnson, MPH, Substance Use Epidemiologist II

Panel Discussion

• Lisa Rae MD, FACS, Chief of Burn Surgery, Medical Director, Temple Burn Center, Associate Professor of
• Surgery, Temple University Hospital
• Lydia Williams, CRNP, CWOCN, Family Nurse Practitioner, Project HOME
• Kevin Banks PT, DPT, CWS, Physical Therapy Utilization Manager, Temple University Hospital
• Raymond Bobb, DO, Medical Director, Merakey Parkside Recovery

• Hillary Miller, MSN, BSN, RN, Street Medicine Registered Nurse, Project HOME Health Services

• Brian, content expert who has had experience with xylazine from both a personal experience and from his experience living in Philadelphia and spending time in the Kensington area.