Infected Wounds: Infected wounds should be monitored closely and may require more frequent
dressing changes than non-infected wounds, dependent upon factors such as wound conditions,
treatment goals, and V�A�C� VeraFlo™ Therapy parameters (for the V�A�C�Ulta™ Therapy System)� Refer
to dressing application instructions (found in V�A�C�® Dressing and V�A�C� VeraFlo™ Dressing cartons) for
details regarding dressing change frequency� As with any wound treatment, clinicians and patients /
caregivers should frequently monitor the patient's wound, periwound tissue and exudate for signs of
infection, worsening infection, or other complications� Some signs of infection are fever, tenderness,
redness, swelling, itching, rash, increased warmth in the wound or periwound area, purulent discharge,
or strong odor� Infection can be serious, and can lead to complications such as pain, discomfort, fever,
gangrene, toxic shock, septic shock and / or fatal injury� Some signs or complications of systemic
infection are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, fainting, sore throat with swelling of
the mucus membranes, disorientation, high fever, refractory and / or orthostatic hypotension, or
erythroderma (a sunburn-like rash)� If there are any signs of the onset of systemic infection or
advancing infection at the wound site, contact a physician immediately to determine if V.A.C.®
Therapy or V.A.C. VeraFlo™ Therapy should be discontinued. For wound infections relating to
blood vessels, please also refer to the section titled Infected Blood Vessels.
Infected Wounds with V.A.C. GranuFoam Silver® Dressing: In the event of clinical infection, V�A�C�
GranuFoam Silver® Dressing is not intended to replace the use of systemic therapy or other infection
treatment regimens� V�A�C� GranuFoam Silver® Dressing may be used to provide a barrier to bacterial
penetration� Refer to the section titled Additional Precautions for V.A.C. GranuFoam Silver®
Dressing�
Osteomyelitis: V�A�C�® Therapy and V�A�C� VeraFlo™ Therapy should NOT be initiated on a wound with
untreated osteomyelitis� Consideration should be given to thorough debridement of all necrotic, non-
viable tissue, including infected bone (if necessary), and appropriate antibiotic therapy�
Protect Tendons, Ligaments and Nerves: Tendons, ligaments and nerves should be protected to
avoid direct contact with V�A�C�® Foam Dressings or V�A�C� VeraFlo™ Therapy Foam Dressings� These
structures may be covered with natural tissue, or meshed non-adherent material to help minimize risk of
desiccation or injury�
Foam Placement: Always use V�A�C�® Dressings or V�A�C� VeraFlo™ Therapy Dressings from sterile
packages that have not been opened or damaged� Do not place any foam dressing into blind /
unexplored tunnels� The V�A�C�® WhiteFoam Dressing may be more appropriate for use with explored
tunnels� The V�A�C� VeraFlo Cleanse™ Dressing System may be more appropriate for use with explored
tunnels when using V�A�C� VeraFlo™ Therapy where robust granulation tissue formation is not desired�
Do not force foam dressings into any area of the wound, as this may damage tissue, alter the delivery
of negative pressure, or hinder exudate and foam removal� Always count the total number of pieces of
foam used in the wound and the dressing change date and document that number on the drape, in the
patient's chart and on the foam quantity label (if provided)�
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