WOUND BLOG

Placing the wound VAC drape is the important technique to learn. If the drape is incorrectly placed there is a risk that the VAC therapy will not work. Before placing the drape do a careful assessment of the Patient’s peri-wound skin, insuring that it is appropriate for drape placement. Follow these KCI VAC Therapy Clinical Guidelines to secure the drape and SensaT.R.A.C.®/T.R.A.C.® PAD:

Drape Application.

1. Trim and place the V.A.C.® Drape to cover the V.A.C.® Foam Dressing and an additional 3-5 cm border of intact periwound tissue . Drape may be cut into multiple pieces for easier handling, retaining a portion of the Blue Handling Tab on each piece. Use any excess drape to seal difficult areas, if needed.

2. Partially pull back one side of Layer 1 to expose adhesive. Be sure to hold Layer 1 flap back to prevent readherence to drape.

3. Place the adhesive face down over foam and apply drape to cover foam and intact skin, ensuring drape covers at least a 3-5cm border of intact periwound tissue.

4. Remove remaining Layer 1 backing material and pat drape to ensure an occlusive seal.

5. Remove green-striped stabilization Layer 2.

6. Remove perforated Blue Handling Tabs from drape (KCI, 2009).

Tract Pad Application.

NOTE: Do not cut off the pad or insert the tubing into the foam dressing. This may occlude the tubing and cause the V.A.C.® Therapy Unit to alarm.

1. Choose pad application site. Give particular consideration to fluid flow, tubing positioning to allow for optimal flow, and avoiding placement over bony prominences or with increases in the tissue.

2. Pinch drape and cut a 2cm hole through the drape (not a slit). The hole should be large enough to allow for removal of fluid and/or exudate. It is not necessary to cut into the foam.

NOTE: Cut a hole rather than a slit, as a slit may self-seal during therapy.

3. Apply Pad, which has a central disc and a surrounding outer adhesive skirt.

a. Remove both backing Layers 1 and 2 to expose adhesive.

b. Place pad opening in central disc directly over hole in drape.

c. Apply gentle pressure on the central disc and outer skirt to ensure complete adhesion of the Pad.

d. Pull back on blue tab to remove Pad stabilization layer.

NOTE: To prevent periwound maceration with wounds that are smaller than the central disc of the Pad, it is very important that the central disc lay on top of foam only. It may be necessary to augment the V.A.C.® Dressing with an additional piece of V.A.C.® Foam cut 1-2cm larger than the diameter of the central disc (KCI, 2009).

KCI, 2009. V.A.C. Therapy Clinical Guidelines retrieved from http://www.kci1.com/Clinical_Guidelines_VAC.pdf