Influence of silver-containing dressings on epithelization of wounds in diabetic patients

초록

Silver is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent; however, the toxicity of silver-based dressings has long been a controversial issue. The cytotoxic effect of silver is especially important in the case of diabetic patients because of their delayed wound healing. The author's group has previously reported the cytotoxic effect of silver-containing dressings on diabetic fibroblasts in vitro. However, in vitro results may not coincide with those of clinical studies. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of a silver-containing dressing on epithelialization of wounds in diabetic patients. During the period from May 2011 to October 2011, fifteen patients with skin donor-site wounds were enrolled in this study. The authors designed a side-by-side matched-pair donor site wound model to compare a hydrophilic polyurethane foam and with one containing silver. The days to complete epithelialization of the wounds were assessed and compared for the two types of foams. Donor sites treated with silver-free foams healed in 14.4±2.2 days while those treated with silver-containing foams healed in 15.6±3.8 days (P=0.109). Silver-containing dressing materials delay epithelialization of the wounds in diabetic patients, but the difference is not found to be statistically significant in this study. (J Korean Wound Management Soc 2012;8:61-67)

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