Fragmented Fish Skin Graft to Heal Wounds Due to “Tranq” Injections

What this research means for patients

Xylazine (“tranq”) — an animal tranquilizer increasingly found in the street drug supply — causes severe, spreading skin ulcerations that are notoriously difficult to heal, even in areas far from the injection site.

This case study documents a patient whose diffuse necrotic ulcerations were debrided and treated with a single application of fragmented fish skin graft. The wounds were fully healed at two months after the first operative visit.

It’s a striking example of a broader principle in wound care: match the biology of the graft to the biology of the wound, and wounds long labeled “non-healing” often close.