Innovating Wound Care: Harnessing the Healing Power of Fish Skin at Gothenburg Health
In the realm of wound care, where innovation meets necessity, Gothenburg Health's Wound Care Clinic is utilizing the remarkable potential of North Atlantic Cod skin to improve patient wound care practices.
Margo Higgins, became the first recipient of this treatment at Gothenburg Health. Higgins had been undergoing wound vac therapy three times a week, but the healing had stalled out. Her wound, initially shallow, had begun tunneling, creating a greater healing challenge.
Unlike the frequent sessions required for wound vac therapy, fish skin grafts necessitate only once-a-week treatment, significantly improving quality of life. Amanda Standage, APRN said, "When a chronic wound stalls out or is non-healing, patients are willing to try anything in order to heal and to come for treatment less often."
Higgins's experience with fish skin grafts has been promising. Following applications on April 15 and 22, she said with a smile, "I'm a Pisces, so it will probably work."
In the past, the limitations of human-based skin grafts, such as placental tissue, posed challenges due to their availability and limited coverage area, averaging a mere 1 by 2 cm. Fish-based skin grafts was introduced by Kim Farr, RN, who had used the technique in her experience previously. The innovative solution not only addresses the issue of availability but also increases the amount of coverage.
The utilization of fish skin represents a sustainable approach to resource utilization. Rather than discarding fish skin as a byproduct, Kerecis uses the fish skin by dehydrating it for packaging. The skin is rehydrated with a saline wound wash and integrated into the wound bed. Cod sourced from waters with temperatures inhibiting bacterial growth provide a naturally sterile and conducive environment for wound healing. Fish skin is biological similar to human tissue and allows nutrients to be absorbed into the body for regeneration and repair. Furthermore, fish skin grafts are FDA-approved, ensuring safety and efficacy in clinical practice.
For more information about the Wound Care Clinic at Gothenburg Health, call 308-537-9626 or ask your provider for a referral.
