title: A comparison of the antimicrobial efficacy of two silver-containing wound dressings on burn wound isolates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate and compare the efficacy of a silver alginate (SA) dressing and a silver carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC) dressing on burn isolates grown within the quasi/non-biofilm state and the biofilm phenotypic states.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antimicrobial activity was tested using 46 burn wound isolates with a corrected zone of inhibition (CZOI) assay on agar (quasi/non-biofilm) and poloxamer (biofilm).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All Gram-negative and positive isolates evaluated were found to be sensitive to both silver containing wound dressings, although superior antimicrobial activity was observed for a select number of specific bacteria when grown in the quasi/non-biofilm phenotypic state, for the SCMC dressing. However, the majority of isolates demonstrated reduced sensitivity to silver when grown as a biofilm, compared with growth in the quasi/non-biofilm phenotypic state. Both dressings demonstrated equivalent antimicrobial activity on Gram-negative isolates grown in the biofilm phenotypic state. For the Gram-positive isolates growing in the biofilm phenotypic state, there appeared to be greater sensitivity to the SA dressing compared with the SCMC dressing, although this result was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated the antimicrobial effectiveness of an SA and SCMC dressing in inhibiting the growth of burn isolates residing in both the quasi/non-biofilm and biofilm phenotypic states. It also suggests the SA dressing could be more effective on Gram-positive isolates grown in the biofilm phenotypic state, compared with SCMC dressing.
authors.affiliation: West Virginia University Medical School, Morgantown, WV, USA.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Slone
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Linton
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Corum
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Percival
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates; D001458:Bandages; D002056:Burns / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D052978:Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests; D006801:Humans; D008747:Methylcellulose; D018030:Silver Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D018030:Silver Compounds; D008747:Methylcellulose