title: Silver deposits in cutaneous burn scar tissue is a common phenomenon following application of a silver dressing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Silver dressings have been widely and successfully used to prevent cutaneous wounds, including burns, chronic ulcers, dermatitis and other cutaneous conditions, from infection. However, in a few cases, skin discolouration or argyria-like appearances have been reported. This study investigated the level of silver in scar tissue post-burn injury following application of Acticoat, a silver dressing.
  
  
  METHODS
  A porcine deep dermal partial thickness burn model was used. Burn wounds were treated with this silver dressing until completion of re-epithelialization, and silver levels were measured in a total of 160 scars and normal tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean level of silver in scar tissue covered with silver dressings was 136 microg/g, while the silver level in normal skin was less than 0.747 microg/g. A number of wounds had a slate-grey appearance, and dissection of the scars revealed brown-black pigment mostly in the middle and deep dermis within the scar. The level of silver and the severity of the slate-grey discolouration were correlated with the length of time of the silver dressing application.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that silver deposition in cutaneous scar tissue is a common phenomenon, and higher levels of silver deposits and severe skin discolouration are correlated with an increase in the duration of this silver dressing application.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Child Health Royal Children's Hospital Burns Research Group, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. x.wang@uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Xue-Qing
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hong-En
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Rod
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Olszowy
authors.forename: Pei-Yun
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kempf
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cuttle
authors.forename: Olena
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kravchuk
authors.forename: Gael E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Roy M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kimble
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D020405:Dermis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000187:drug effects*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011095:Polyethylenes / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012834:Silver / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: C117408:Acticoat; D011091:Polyesters; D011095:Polyethylenes; D012834:Silver