Granulation tissue

Granulation tissue is extra growth of healing skin. Most often it is seen where the tube comes out of the skin. It is pink or red, moist tissue that may cause a yellow-green drainage or small amount of bleeding on the dressing. This is a normal response of the body. It does not mean there is an infection. It is not painful to your child. This tissue is a mucous membrane like tissue inside the cheek. This section helps you treat granulation tissue using Triamcinolone® cream or silver nitrate sticks.

Treatment

1. Stabilize the tube.
2. Keep site clean and dry:

• Clean site daily with soap and water
• Air-dry the site
• Keep a dry dressing in place if there is drainage; change when dirty or wet

How to use Triamcinolone® cream

1. Use a cotton-tipped swab to put a thin layer of cream on the raised granulation tissue.
2. Put on the cream three times each day until there is no more raised tissue present.
3. Reapply the cream when granulation tissue reappears.
4. Do not treat with the Triamcinolone cream longer than two weeks. If there is no improvement in that time, call the doctor, nurse or clinic.
5. If the medicine is needed again, be sure to wait one week between treatments.

How to use silver nitrate sticks

This is usually done in the clinic, but sometimes it may be done at home if your child’s doctor or nurse tells you to do so.

1. Put a small amount of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline® on the skin around the granulation tissue before putting on the silver nitrate. This will help keep the silver nitrate from irritating the skin around the tissue.
2. Touch the medicated part of the stick to the granulation tissue only. The tissue that is treated will turn a gray-white color and will then get darker. In time, the tissue will shrivel up or come off in a small layer.
3. Use the silver nitrate sticks no more than once a day.
4. Stop using silver nitrate once granulation tissue falls off or if tissue becomes a scab or scar tissue. Scar tissue is not moist like granulation tissue.
5. While treating granulation tissue with silver nitrate sticks, prevent drainage from reaching the surrounding skin by using a split gauze dressing or tissue to absorb it.
6. Remove dressing in one hour.
7. Call the doctor, nurse or clinic if the treatment does not work.

Note: Excess drainage that reaches the surrounding skin will stain the skin a dark color. This stain will go away after the sliver nitrate application is stopped.

If the silver nitrate spreads to the surrounding skin that has no granulation tissue, the skin may peel and be sore. If the skin is sore, stop the silver nitrate treatment. If the skin does not heal, call your child’s doctor, nurse or clinic.