International wound journal
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
A prospective randomised open label study to evaluate the potential of a new silver alginate/carboxymethylcellulose antimicrobial wound dressing to promote wound healing.
The aim of this study was to observe both the clinical signs and symptoms of wounds at risk of infection, that is critically colonised (biofilm infected) and antimicrobial-performance of an ionic silver alginate/carboxymethylcellulose (SACMC) dressing, in comparison with a non silver calcium alginate fibre (AF) dressing, on chronic venous leg and pressure ulcers. Thirty-six patients with venous or pressure ulcers, considered clinically to be critically colonised (biofilm infected), were randomly chosen to receive either an SACMC dressing or a non silver calcium AF dressing. The efficacy of each wound dressing was evaluated over a 4-week period. ⋯ The SACMC group showed a statistically significant (P = 0.017) improvement to healing as indicated by a reduction in the surface area of the wound, over the 4-week study period, compared with AF controls. In conclusion, the SACMC dressing showed a greater ability to prevent wounds progressing to infection when compared with the AF control dressing. In addition, the results of this study also showed an improvement in wound healing for SACMC when compared with a non silver dressing.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A prospective, randomized trial of silver containing hydrofiber dressing versus 1% silver sulfadiazine for the treatment of partial thickness burns.
Silver sulfadiazine has been used as a topical burn wound treatment for many years. Pain associated with dressing changes is a common problem in burn wounds. Aquacel Ag, a hydrofiber dressing coated with ionic silver has been reported to reduce burn wound infection and promote antimicrobial activity. ⋯ Total cost of treatment was 52 +/- 29 US dollars for the Aquacel Ag-treated group versus 93 +/- 36 US dollars for the silver sulfadiazine-treated group. This study showed that Aquacel Ag increased time to healing, decreased pain symptoms and increased patient convenience because of limiting the frequency of replacement of the dressing at lower total cost. This study confirms the efficacy of Aquacel Ag for the treatment of partial thickness burns at an outpatient clinic.