The comparative efficacy of two antimicrobial barrier dressings: In-vitro examination of two controlled release of silver dressings

Modern wound dressings have been designed to promote wound healing by provi ding a moist wound environment. Concurrent with the development of these dr essings, concern regarding the potential for increased wound colonization a nd subsequent infection under these dressings has also surfaced. As a resul t, manufacturers have developed a number of products that claim to help mai ntain a minimally contaminated wound bed. In an era of rapidly advancing an timicrobial resistance and related calls for the minimization of antibiotic use, silver is gaining increasing popularity as an effective antimicrobial agent. The most intriguing of the new silver-containing products utilize c ontrolled silver release technologies. The antimicrobial efficacies of two of these products, one a film dressing and the other a silver-coated absorb ent dressing, were compared against commonly encountered bacterial (includi ng antibiotic-resistant strains) and yeast wound pathogens. The ability of the dressings to prevent bacterial growth after repeated challenge was also examined to derive an indication of the longevity of the dressings' effica cies. The nanocrystalline silver-coated dressing demonstrated a much faster bactericidal action against a broader spectrum of organisms in these in-vi tro comparisons. These encouraging in-vitro results are currently undergoin g confirmatory testing in vivo.