title: The silver-releasing foam dressing, Contreet Foam, promotes faster healing of critically colonised venous leg ulcers: a randomised, controlled trial.
abstract: The study compared the effect of a sustained silver-release foam dressing (Contreet Foam) with a foam dressing (Allevyn Hydrocellular) without added silver in critically colonised venous leg ulcers with delayed healing. The study was a multicentre, open, randomised, controlled study lasting for 4 weeks. Ulcer area and healing were assessed weekly. Odour, maceration, absorption capacity and leakage were evaluated at dressing changes. All adverse events were recorded. One hundred and twenty-nine patients were included (Contreet Foam: 65, Allevyn Hydrocellular: 64). The two groups were comparable in all respects. After 4 weeks, there was a significantly greater reduction in ulcer area in the Contreet Foam group (45%) than in the Allevyn Hydrocellular group (25%). After 1 and 4 weeks, odour was present in significantly less of the ulcers in the Contreet Foam group (17% and 19%, respectively) compared with the Allevyn Hydrocellular group (47% and 39%, respectively) and at the final visit there were significantly fewer leakages in the Contreet Foam group (19%) compared with the Allevyn Hydrocellular group (49%). Also, less maceration was observed after 1 and 4 weeks in the Contreet Foam group (34% and 37%, respectively) compared with the Allevyn Hydrocellular group (55% and 48%, respectively). The occurrence and cause of adverse events were equally distributed between the study groups. The present study provides evidence of the superior performance of the silver-releasing dressing, Contreet Foam, compared with a traditional moist foam wound healing dressing in the treatment of critically colonised, chronic venous leg ulcers. The results of this randomised, controlled study suggest an important role of sustained silver-releasing dressings in the treatment of critically colonised chronic wounds.
authors.affiliation: Copenhagen Wound Healing Centre, Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Klaus E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Finn
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gottrup
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bech-Thomsen
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scanlon
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kirsner
authors.forename: Henriette
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rheinen
authors.forename: Jytte
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roed-Petersen
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romanelli
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jemec
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Leaper
authors.forename: Martino Ha
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: Joep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Veraart
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Coerper
authors.forename: Rikke H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Agerslev
authors.forename: Susanne H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Bendz
authors.forename: Jan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: R Gary
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Sibbald
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D047070:Bandages, Hydrocolloid; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011140:Polyurethanes; D011788:Quality of Life; D018030:Silver Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014647:Varicose Ulcer / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D011140:Polyurethanes; D018030:Silver Compounds; C081143:allevyn