Can You Pack a Wound With Kerlix? Clinical Guidelines
Can you pack a wound with kerlix?
The Quick Answer
**Yes—Kerlix gauze is appropriate for wound packing** when used correctly. Its crinkle-weave pattern provides loft for exudate absorption while the open weave allows drainage. Use sterile Kerlix for deep wounds with tunnels or undermining. Pack loosely—never tightly—to avoid pressure necrosis. Leave a 'tail' extending from the wound for easy removal. Change daily or when saturated. Avoid packing clean, shallow wounds expected to heal within days.
Why We Ask This
Clinicians either avoid packing wounds (leaving dead space that harbors bacteria) or over-pack (causing pressure necrosis)—both extremes compromising healing in complex wounds requiring cavity management. Patients attempting home packing often use non-sterile materials or pack too tightly, introducing infection or impairing perfusion.
The Practical Science
Packing maintains wound edge approximation while preventing premature surface closure over unhealed depth. Kerlix's six-ply construction with finished edges minimizes lint contamination risk versus standard gauze. Loose packing allows capillary ingrowth from wound base while absorbing exudate through capillary action.
In Clinical Practice
For a pilonidal sinus tract 4cm deep, a clinician loosely packs sterile Kerlix strips into the cavity without tension, leaving 1cm extending externally, covers with absorptive secondary dressing, and changes daily—allowing granulation to progress from depth outward without epithelial bridging.
References & Context
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