title: Reduced cellular toxicity of a new silver-containing antimicrobial dressing and clinical performance in non-healing wounds.
abstract: Bacterial colonisation of wounds may delay wound healing. Modern silver-containing dressings are antimicrobial, yet cellular toxicity is a serious side-effect. We provide data for a newly formulated silver-containing ointment dressing, Atrauman Ag, for antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity. Atrauman Ag effectively killed a panel of commensal skin as well as pathogenic bacterial strains while cytotoxicity for HaCaT keratinocytes was only around 10%. With these favourable in vitro tests, Atrauman Ag was analysed in 86 patients with traumatic and non-healing wounds of different aetiologies. The wound state was evaluated for 3 subsequent dressing changes. The slough score was reduced from 59.2 to 35.8%, granulation tissue increased from 27 to 40% and epithelialisation went up from 12.1 to 24%. We conclude that Atrauman Ag has a superior profile of antimicrobial activity over cellular toxicity and the low silver ion release rate may prevent interference with wound-healing mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Paul Hartmann AG, Heidenheim, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Görl
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Effing
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ellermann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mappes
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Otten
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kapp
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zoellner
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spaeth
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Smola
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009779:Occlusive Dressings; D009824:Ointments / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D012834:Silver / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D009824:Ointments; D012834:Silver