IV. 1 Debate: All Forms of Silver Are Equal

摘要

Silver is an age-old weapon in the battle against bacteria. Silver sul-fadiazine and silver nitrate are well-known topical drugs for infection control. In the last decade, the wound care community has experienced a renewed interest in silver as an antimicrobial agent for the management of chronic wounds. Silver is now available as an ingredient in a wide variety of topical wound dressing types. Based on the dressing materials, there are a variety of methods to incorporate the silver, including elemental coatings onto fibers or scrims and the inclusion of silver salts. The physical form of the dressing and the chemical method of silver incorporation may differ, but these topical silver products are similar in that they all deliver the same active ingredient: the positively charged silver ion. The silver ion is the form of silver that has the antimicrobial effect in the wound environment. The relevant form of silver in topical products is equal; however, the delivery system of the silver may differ and have separate effects in the wound environment that impact wound management. The amount and rate of silver ion delivery to the wound environment by various products may differ; however, these differences have not been equated to clinical differences in wound healing.