Assessing the safety and compatibility of silver based wound dressings in a magnetic resonance environment.
BACKGROUND
Silver dressings are an integral part of the management of burn patients. Package inserts assert a lack of compatibility and safety with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and recommend removal prior to any MRI procedure, although there is no clear evidence to support this recommendation. Dressing removal is associated with increased pain, anxiety, stress, and analgesia use. This study was to determine whether these products produce MRI image distortion or if the agitation of the silver particles generates enough heat which might produce further skin damage.


METHODS
Hind limbs from euthanized pigs were used in a 7T MRI scanner with three standard silver wound dressings. Images were obtained with both dry and wet dressings. Temperature was assessed before and during MRI by probes inserted between the dressing and skin. Images were independently reviewed by a radiologist and MR physicist for distortion.


RESULTS
None of the dressings exhibited significant temperature increases nor produced significant distortion that influenced imaging quality.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggests silver containing wound dressings do not cause a significant increase in dressing temperature or image distortion and thus their removal is not warranted for clinical MRI examinations.
Chaudhry
Zaid
Z
Ohio State University Burn Center, Department of Surgery and OSU College of Medicine, 410 W. 10th Ave, N748 Doan, Columbus, OH 43210, United States. Zaid.Chaudhry@osumc.edu
Sammet
Steffen
S
Coffey
Rebecca
R
Crockett
Andrew
A
Yuh
William T C
WT
Miller
Sidney
S
D000818:Animals; D001458:Bandages / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002056:Burns / Q000209:etiology; D000075202:Contraindications; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012834:Silver / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018030:Silver Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D034421:Sus scrofa
D018030:Silver Compounds; D012834:Silver