[Comparison of the efficacies of silver-containing dressing materials for treating a full-thickness rodent wound infected by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus].
BACKGROUND
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) may cause infections during wound dressing. We aimed to compare the antibacterial activities and wound-healing effects of commercially available silver-coated or silver-impregnated wound dressings on MRSA-infected wounds.


METHODS
Full-thickness skin defects were made on the back of rats (N=108) and were infected with MRSA. The rats were divided into the following 6 groups according to the dressing used for the wounds: nanocrystalline silver (Acticoat), silver carboxymethylcellulose (Aquacel-Ag), silver sulfadiazine (Medifoam silver), nanocrystalline silver (PolyMem silver), silver sulfadiazine (Ilvadon), and 10% povidone iodide (Betadine). We analyzed the wound sizes, histological findings, and bacterial colony counts for the groups. We also inoculated the silver materials on Mueller-Hinton agar plates containing MRSA and compared the inhibition zones in the agar plates.


RESULTS
The order of the rate of wound-size decrease was Acticoat>Aquacel-Ag>PolyMem silver>Medifoam silver>Ilvadon>Betadine. The histological findings revealed that the Acticoat showed more reepithelialization and granulation tissue formation and less inflammatory cell infiltration than the other materials. The order of the time required for wound healing was Acticoat>Aquacel -Ag>PolyMem silver>Ilvadon>Medifoam silver>Betadine. The bacterial colony counts reduced in all the groups, except in the Medifoam silver group. The order of the size of the inhibition zone was Acticoat>Aquacel-Ag>Ilvadon>PolyMem silver>Betadine>Medifoam silver.


CONCLUSIONS
Silver-coated or silver-impregnated wound dressings can be used for treating MRSAinfected wounds. Considering its superior efficacy in comparison to the efficacies of other silver-coated or silver-impregnated wound dressings, Acticoat should be preferentially used for the treatment of MRSA-infected skin wounds.
Lee
Jong Hoon
JH
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Eulji University School of Medicine, Eulji General Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Chae
Jeong Don
JD
Kim
Dong Gu
DG
Hong
Sung Hee
SH
Lee
Won Mi
WM
Ki
Moran
M
D000818:Animals; D001458:Bandages; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D011206:Povidone-Iodine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012837:Silver Sulfadiazine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
D012834:Silver; D011206:Povidone-Iodine; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium; D012837:Silver Sulfadiazine