New Protocols for Treating Patients with Xylazine Wounds
A multidisciplinary team at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has developed comprehensive clinical protocols to manage hospitalized patients exposed to xylazine—a veterinary sedative increasingly found in the unregulated opioid supply. Xylazine exposure has been associated with severe complications, including difficult-to-manage withdrawal symptoms and necrotic skin ulcerations prone to infection and chronicity.
UPMC’s toxicology testing revealed a five-fold increase in patient samples testing positive for xylazine between 2019 and 2021, highlighting the growing impact of this substance. In response, the team implemented detailed treatment protocols, published in the Substance Use & Addiction Journal, emphasizing standardized, evidence-based, and trauma-informed approaches to care.
Led by Dr. Raagini Jawa, MD, MPH, FASAM, along with co-authors Dr. Margaret Shang, MD, MS, and Dr. Ilana Hull, MD, MSc, the team convened clinicians from various specialties—including addiction medicine, toxicology, emergency medicine, psychiatry, and plastic surgery—to address the complex needs of patients affected by xylazine. The protocols aim to improve patient outcomes through coordinated, multidisciplinary care.
Read the full article on the Medical Xpress website.
Keywords:
Xylazine,
Necrotic skin ulcerations,
Withdrawal management,
Multidisciplinary care,
UPMC,
Raagini Jawa,
Margaret Shang,
Ilana Hull