Antimicrobials: Healthcare's Silver Bullet Against HAIs?

Smith & Nephew has introduced a number of antimicrobial barrier dressings used in wound care to help prevent infection. Acticoat dressings are designed to rapidly kill a broad spectrum of bacteria in as little as 30 minutes (in-vitro) and are effective for at least three days. The Acticoat dressing consists of three layers: an absorbent inner core sandwiched between outer layers of silver coated, low adherent polyethylene net. Nanocrystalline silver protects the wound site from bacterial contamination while the inner core helps maintain the moist environment optimal for wound healing. The Acticoat 7 with Silcryst™ Nanocrystals dressing product features a nanocrystalline coating of silver and consists of five layers: two layers of an absorbent inner core sandwiched between three layers of silver coated, low adherent polyethylene net.

Several researchers have attempted to compare the antibacterial activities of commercially available silver-coated/impregnated dressings against common pathogens (Ip et al., 2006; Thomas and McCubbin, 2003; and Parsons et al., 2005). Thomas and McCubbin (2003) noted, “Although caution must always be exercised when extrapolating the results of laboratory-based studies to the clinical situation, potentially important differences were detected in the antimicrobial activity of the products examined. It is also possible that the silver ions released by the dressings may have effects on wound healing that are unrelated to their antimicrobial activity. Further work is needed to address this issue.” Parsons (2005) advised, “... dressing selection should be based on the overall properties of the dressing as clinically relevant to the wound type and condition.”