Silver Dressings - Introduction | Advantages & Disadvantages | How it Works | How to Choose | How to Apply | Types
What does Silver do to a Wound?
Silver has been known for its antibacterial properties since thousands of years but its use in advanced wound care has been fairly recent. Wound dressings with silver are strongly antibacterial and help bring down wound bacteria count. Silver wound dressings provides a moist wound environment which promotes wound recovery. Topical antimicrobial silver dressing (like
Mepilex Ag) is apt for the treatment of infected wounds and especially found to be most effective in wounds with bioburden or local infection and at risk of it.
Advantages of Silver Wound Dressings
Advantages of Silver Dressings
- Provide a broad range of antimicrobial activity
- Reduce infection
- Prevent infection
- Alter metalloproteinases within wounds
How does silver work in wound healing?
The molecular make-up of silver is such that it breaks down bacteria and does not allow it to create chemical bonds and multiply. Using nano crystalline technology, silver is released into the wound through sustained delivery thus eliminating any toxicity risks. The silver brings down or eliminates bioburden in burns and open wounds and act as a barrier against resistant organisms such as MRSA.
Silver wound dressings are apt for the management of acute and chronic wounds and burns. Silver dressings are ideal for deep, highly-exuding cavity wounds which are at risk of infection. On coming in contact with wound exudates, these silver dressings work with the wound fluid triggering the release of activated silver ions for antibacterial action and to neutralize any toxins.
Wound dressings with silver reduce excess fluid at the wound site which is transpired away quickly.
How to choose Silver Wound Dressing?
When choosing the silver wound dressing, the patient’s needs, the wound type and the environment will have to be kept in mind. Which silver dressing to buy will depend on the following factors:
- Level of exudate produced
- Condition of the wound bed
- Patient’s level of tolerance for pain
- The need for a secondary dressing
Silver dressings for wounds provide sustained release of silver over several days. This reduces frequency of dressing change thus making these dressings cost effective. The
Medline Optifoam silver antimicrobial
foam dressing can be left in place for up to a week and may be used as a primary or secondary dressing.
How do you apply Silver Dressing?
- Follow the normal wound cleaning protocol, do not use cleansing agents dependent on saline or oil.
- Remove the dressing from package and cut to form.
- Using clean water to moisten the dressing (do not use saline).
- Enable the dressing to drain for at least two minutes in a sterile field on an absorbent surface.
- Apply the dressing, either side down, to the wound surface.
- Cover the dressing with an appropriate secondary dressing.
- Moisten or soak the dressing if the dressing dries and adheres to the wound.
- Avoid removing the dressing violently and damaging the healing wound.
When to use Silver Dressings?
- Diabetic ulcers
- Donor sites
- Pressure ulcers
- Venous ulcers /foot/ leg ulcers
- Partial-thickness burn /second-degree burn
- Surgical/post-operative wounds
- Superficial burn/first-degree burn
- Partial/full thickness wounds
- Acute/traumatic wounds
- Laceration/abrasion
- Full-thickness burn/third-degree burn /graft wound
- Moderate-to-high exudate wounds
- Low-to-moderate exudate wound
- Arterial ulcers
- Superficial or low exudate wounds
How often should silver dressings be changed?
Primarily it is advised to use silver dressings for 2 weeks to determine the patient and wound effectiveness. Reassess the injury after 2 weeks. If signs of infection are still present, proceed and reassess every 2 weeks, record the result and the decision to continue. Consider an alternative antimicrobial dressing when the wound fails to make progress with a silver dressing. If the wound has improved and there are no signs of infection, discontinue the silver dressing and use a traditional dressing.
Types of Silver Dressings
There are a variety of silver wound dressings with a number of wound-friendly features. These include
anti-microbial silver dressings,
absorbent silver dressings for wounds,
foam silver dressings,
adherent silver wound dressings,
non-adherent silver dressings, silver dressings with
alginate,
hydrofiber silver dressings,
hydrogel silver dressings (
Silvasorb Gel) and more.
The Aquacel ribbon dressing from ConvaTec has a combination of hydrofiber technology with ionic silver which makes the dressing highly absorbent, along with favorable gelling characteristics and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity.
The Optifoam silver sacral foam dressing is conformable and can manage repeated bacteria introduction. Its waterproof outer layer protects wound and keeps bacteria out and moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) adjusts to fluid level. The Allevyn dressing from Smith & Nephew prevents healing tissue from growing into the dressing thus reducing pain on removal and maintaining a moist wound interface. It promotes rapid wound closure, reduced risk of maceration and provides an effective barrier to bacteria penetration.
Where to buy Silver Alginate Dressing online?
Health Products for You offers a huge range of antimicrobial silver alginate dressing that helps promote wound healing by generating and promoting a moist environment. These products are from top-selling manufactures like Medline Industries, Ferris, Smith & Nephew, and many more.
Research & Articles on Silver Dressings
Wound Healing and Antimicrobial Properties of Silver Dressings
Top Five Silver Alginate Dressings for 2021
Role of Silver Dressing in Healing
Uses of silver in prevention of Infections
FAQ's
Frequently asked questions
Silver is utilized in dressings because of its antibacterial properties. It is very effective in healing infected wounds. Silver dressings are used in the treatment of burns and chronic wounds, particularly over wounds where the infection has set in leading to delayed healing. Silver counters the increase in issues of antibiotic resistance and acts as an effective agent for treating colonized and infected wounds.
Silver dressings are recommended:
- When there is a need for reducing bio-burden within acute or chronic wounds that are infected.
- For acute or chronic wounds at greater risk of infection or re-infection.
- For surgical wounds, burns, wounds with exposed bone or wounds of patients with a weak immune system, poor circulation, neoplastic disease or unstable diabetes.
Silver dressings are potent antimicrobials. The active silver ions in the dressing kill microbes immediately by blocking the respiratory enzymes but remaining non-toxic to human tissues. Silver dressings reduce a wound’s bio-burden, treat local infection and prevent systematic spread. It inhibits the bacterial DNA procedure of replication and the molecular make-up of silver stops most bacteria from creating chemical bonds. Working at a molecular level, silver is able to stop several superbugs and bacterial strains.
Silver foam dressing is a non-adhesive dressing with an antimicrobial barrier that uses advanced moist wound technology for healing with silver as the most crucial ingredient. The silver technology combines sustained antibacterial activity for preventing infection as well as providing a moist wound healing environment.