Founded by Georgie Hollis in 2008, the Vet Wound Library,www.vetwoundlibrary.com, provides a database of case reports, trial dressingsand specialist support for dealing with challenging wounds in practice and isdedicated to helping vets and nurses get more out of wound management. It has undergone significant development over the last six months (Figure 1).

The way the site works is unique. Itprovides advanced dressings on a free-of-charge trial basis for cases that cliniciansare prepared to share as they progress.This principle generates cases that othermembers can view and learn from, butalso creates vital evidence for woundmanagement.

A considerable number of animals havebeen helped through this process whenfunding has been limited. The library alsoprovides help on any aspect of woundcare through its own Clinical Advisory

Dedicated to helping you heal – the VeterinaryWound LibraryGeorgie Hollis BSc MVWHA93 Back Street, Garboldisham, Diss, IP22 2SD. UK

Figure 1: The Veterinary Wound Library website�

Panel, meaning that members can accessspecialist advice whenever they need it(Table 1).

The services and benefits offered tomembers of the Veterinary WoundLibrary are listed in Table 2.

How does it work?

Since the site began in 2008, over 100clinicians have joined and been able toaccess the free dressings and case studiesin the Library. Dressings have beensupplied for over 70 cases to date – manyof which were challenging, needingseveral months of treatment and meaningthat the value of dressings far outweighedthe annual cost of membership.

Cases that have been completed cover arange of species – from rabbit abscessesto RTAs – each showing step-by-stepprogress and practical use of advanceddressings (Figure 2).

Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 25 • No11 • November 2010 • Page 13

Figure 2: A Labrador retriever presentedwith complex RTA-related injuries. Thecase was managed open (owing to lack offunds) with advanced dressings suppliedthrough the Library as required. The wholecase, spanning three months, illustratesnot just the practical management but alsothat a successful outcome can be achievedin a challenging wound of this type

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Georgie Hollis BSc MVWHA

Georgie began workingindependently under the headingof ‘Intelligent Wound Care’ in 2007 following a career inmedicine and industry where she began to specialise in woundtechnologies and their applicationto veterinary use.

Georgie’s philosophy simply aimsto encourage informed, logicaldecision making for clinicians with specific reference to moderndressing methods and the growingrange of advanced woundmanagement products as appliedto veterinary practice.

CLINICAL

Page 14 • VOL 25 • No11 • November 2010 • Veterinary Nursing Journal

PANEL MEMBER SPECIALISING IN:Georgie Hollis BSc MVWHA Dressings and developing technologies for open wound management.

Georgie specialises in modern wound dressings and how they work. She can help you choose the best dressing for the challenges you are facing. Her knowledge of research and industry mean that she often introduces thelatest technology to clinicians, while helping to find the best possible option for your wound.

Georgie is also able to provide members of the Library with practice-basedCPD on the subject of wound dressings and their use.

Professor Dick White Small animal reconstructive surgery and advanced closure techniques.BVetMed PhD DSAS DVR FRCVS Internationally recognised in the area of soft tissue surgery, Dick’s help is

not only generous, but very well received by members of the Library. Havinghelped members manage adder bites and talking through Z-plasties, he reallyis an A to Z of wound management.

Molly Varga Special interest in rabbit medicine and surgery.BVetMed DZooMed MRCVS Molly gained her RCVS Certificate in Zoological Medicine in 2001 and her

Diploma (Mammalian) in 2007. Molly is also an RCVS examiner in ZoologicalMedicine and can help members with surgical, management or medical issuesin rabbits or small furries.

Patrick Pollock Soft tissue, orthopaedic and minimally invasive surgery. CertES (Soft Tissue) DipECVS MRCVS Patrick is a Senior Clinical Fellow in equine surgery at Glasgow University and

a European and Royal College Recognised Specialist in Equine Surgery. Hisspecial interest and experience in treating working animals abroad mean hehas seen many wounds in some of the most challenging environments.

Alison King VN Head nurse at the Animal Medical Centre, Kingsley Park, Northampton, Alison helps support nurses needing a little help with general woundmanagement issues or with a single wound that is proving problematic. Having pushed the subject forward in her own practice, Alison has personalexperience of making a real and positive change in wound care. Havingcontributed many cases to the library, Alison can also help advise less IT-friendly minds to help you get the most out of the library.

Kevin Eatwell Exotic species need their wounds managed too and although there may notBVSc(Hons) DZooMed (Reptilian) MRCVS be the volume of exotic wounds in practice to keep Kevin busy, he is, however,

on hand to help.

Becoming an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine in 2007,he has lectured internationally about exotic animal species and is widelypublished. Snakes with burns and tortoises with shell trauma are well withinKevin‘s remit.

● Articles and practical tips covering the latest wound management issues and techniques● Free advanced dressings in return for basic case reports● A database of case histories illustrating wound management in practice● One-to-one specialist (and confidential) support from the Clinical Advisory Panel● Special rates and dedicated offers on products and services relating to wound care

TABLE 2 Benefits of membership

TABLE 1 The Clinical Advisory Panel

CLINICAL

Advanced Wound Managementas simple as...

ABSORBS• Eclypse & Eclypse Adherent

dressings for highly exuding wounds

• Polyacrylate crystals lock awayexudate to help prevent maceration

HYDRATES• Citrugel an amorphous

hydrogel for low exuding wounds

• High fluid donation and excellentwet integrity

PROTECTS• Advazorb Plus a film backed

hydrophilic foam dressing thatprovides a protective layer

• Flexible and conformable

To find out more about the benefits ofDechra advanced wound managementproducts please call

01743 441632

PRESENTATIONThe dog presented with a largeswelling on the left hand side ofhis face, pyrexia and lethargy.There was no history of traumaor bites and there were noissues relating to the oral cavity.The swelling and wound weredebrided under generalanaesthetic. (Fig 1 & 2)

MANAGEMENTThe wound was surgicallydebrided and managed openuntil it was ready to be closedsurgically.

Following surgical debridementthe wound was packed withDACC antibacterial swabs andan Eclypse Adherent dressingwas sutured in place to absorb and lock away the high levels ofexudate. (Fig 3)

Within 3 days the wound wasgranulating well and showingno further signs of infection. Atthis point the dog was preparedfor surgery. The wound edgeswere debrided and a rotationflap created to allow the woundto be closed and a Penrosedrain was placed to allowdrainage from the cavity. AnEclypse Adherent dressingwas used due to its ability tostay in place due to its softsilicone adhesive contactlayer and its ability to absorband retain the exudate fromthe Penrose drain. (Fig 4)

OUTCOMEWound closure wassuccessfully and quickly achieved without maceration of the tissues fromwound exudate.

DRESSING SUMMARYEclypse Adherent dressings with Silfix soft silicone adhesive layer wereused in this case. These allowed a dressing to easily be kept in placein a difficult to dress area of the face. The Eclypse Adherentdressings have the added benefits of polyacrylate crystals. These absorb and retain the fluid as a crystal gel, locking theexudate away from the wound tissues to prevent maceration.

www.vetwoundlibrary.com - Dog #26

Fig 1

Fig 2

Fig 3

Fig 4

Dechra Veterinary Products Ltd, Cartmel Drive, Harlescott, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY1 3TB www.dechra.com

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Page 16 • VOL 25 • No11 • November 2010 • Veterinary Nursing Journal

CLINICAL

have to resort to anecdotal and personalexperience, from which we learn whatworks and what doesn’t. Be it a positiveor negative experience, we still learn; butunfortunately, when we need a confidentapproach and are under pressure, we aremost likely to resort to what we’ve alwaysdone. This does not develop the science,our skills, or our confidence.

Wounds are complex, and sometimesdifficult to manage, so everyone naturally has different opinions aboutmanagement. This is to be expected in asubject area that is as much down topersonal preference as science. Havingsomewhere to go to get rational help andsupport from specialists – as well as asource of advanced dressings to try – is a great comfort (Figure 4). For nurses(and vets) trying to get better resultswhen they manage wounds, the libraryhas become really valuable.

It does take a little courage to try somethingnew and to embrace a subject – particularlywhen you have 101 other things to do aspart of the veterinary team. But withwound management, it is such arewarding subject and an area that I reallythink veterinary nurses are able to master.

By creating the Veterinary WoundLibrary, I wanted to make it easier foranyone in practice managing wounds todo more and to gain confidence. It’s thecomfort of knowing that all the supportand help you need to do your best foryour next patient, is just a click away.

is illustration enough that woundmanagement is a complex process. Withso many variations in causes, conditionand contributing factors, producingevidence for any one combination ofproduct or wound is near impossible. Nomatter how many lectures and books coverthe subject, there will always be woundsthat challenge us and our confidencewhen we don’t see them every day.

When evidence is hard to produce, we

Recent development of the site has givenit a new look which now offers even moreto its members with the addition ofarticles on the latest issues in woundmanagement, technical tips and discountson dressings and services (Figure 3).

Rationale

The lack of randomised, controlled trialsthat demonstrate a definitive black-and-white way to manage each wound type

Figure 3: The new members’ areacontains articles, offers and links to thelatest case reports

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Figure 5: Membership of the VeterinaryWound Library is £138 per year for eachpractice. It includes access to the websiteand a 'wound survival bag' to put in yourdressing cupboard. You'll have everythingyou need to get more out of woundmanagement and all the help you need foryour next wound

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Dressings

have been supplied

for over 70 cases to

date – many of

which were

challenging,

needing several

months of

treatment and

meaning that the

value of dressings

far outweighed the

annual cost of

membership

“

”

Figure 4: Help is on hand for all types of wounds, from equine to exotics�

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