Doctors unite to tackle xylazine wounds in opioid crisis

By Dr. Katharine T Criner Woozley

Philadelphia doctors have been on the front lines of the latest ugly chapter of the opioid epidemic – managing xylazine wounds in people who inject drugs.

Increasingly across Philadelphia, illicit fentanyl is being laced with xylazine, a veterinary sedative, which is causing severe limb-threatening wounds. In response, medical professionals from across the greater Philadelphia area, on the front lines treating this new challenge, have come together to create a “Philadelphia Consensus” on how best to manage these complex problems.

The group consists of surgeons, physicians, addiction specialists, public health leaders, and policymakers sharing their knowledge and best practices to establish guidelines to improve people’s lives and more efficiently deploy