For All Donor Sites

Monitor for signs and symptoms of infection:

  • Increased redness (over 1 inch in width) and swelling around the skin graft.

  • Foul smelling or blue-green colored drainage from the skin graft.

  • Flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, nausea or vomiting, muscle aches).

  • Increased pain.


Care of a Donor Site with a Mepilex® Ag Dressing

Mepilex® is an absorbent foam dressing with a silicone layer with silver that adheres to intact skin and does not stick to open wounds.

Leave the donor site dressing in place until you return to clinic. Keep it clean and dry.

Call us if you have any of the following concerns as your dressing may need to be changed:

  • Outer dressing becomes soaked with too much drainage from the donor site.

  • Outer dressing gets wet.

  • Dressing comes off, exposing the open donor site.

  • Any signs and symptoms of infection occur (see above).


Care of a Donor Site After the Mepilex® Ag Dressing Is Removed

  • Wash the area with mild soap and water starting on ______________.

  • Treat open areas with bacitracin and Cuticerin or as directed.

  • Apply ___________ lotion to keep a newly healed donor site from drying out and cracking.

  • Monitor for signs and symptoms of infection and call with any concerns.


Care of Primary Closure Donor Site

  • Keep the site covered with the first dressing as directed by your provider.

  • Once the dressing is removed, leave the incision site open to the air.

  • If Steri-Strips™ are used (thin white tapes across your incision), do not remove them until they loosen and fall off on their own. This takes about one week.

  • No tub baths or soaking in water. You may shower when directed by your provider.

  • Monitor for signs and symptoms of infection and call with any concerns.


Care of a Healed Donor Site

  • Wash the area with mild soap and water.

  • Apply ________________ lotion.

  • Apply compression as directed by your provider.


Who to Call

General Surgery and Burn Clinic
Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
(608) 264-8040

For urgent questions or needs after hours or on weekends, call the Burn Unit Nurses at (608) 263-1490 or call (608) 262-2122 and ask to have the Burn resident paged.

For non-urgent questions or needs after hours or on weekends, please leave a message for the General Surgery triage nurse at (608) 890-9542.

Toll free number: 1-800-323-8942.