title: Aquacel(®) Ag dressing versus Acticoat™ dressing in partial thickness burns: a prospective, randomized, controlled study in 100 patients. Part 1: burn wound healing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies comparing contemporary silver dressings in burns are scarce.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective, randomized, controlled study, counting 50 patients/research group, we compared two frequently used silver dressings, Acticoat™ and Aquacel(®) Ag, in the management of partial thickness burns with a predicted healing time between 7 and 21 days as assessed by laser Doppler imaging between 48 and 72h after burn. Variables investigated were related to baseline research group characteristics, wound healing, bacteriology, economics, nurse, and patient experience.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both research groups were comparably composed taking into account gender, age and burn characteristics. Similar results were obtained as to healing time and bacterial control with both silver dressings. A statistically significant difference in favor of the Aquacel(®) Ag dressing was found for average ease of use (p<0.001), average ease of application (p=0.001), patient pain (p<0.001), patient comfort with the dressing (p=0.017), silver staining (p<0.001), and cost effectiveness (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both silver dressings resulted in comparable healing times and bacterial control but the Aquacel(®) Ag dressing significantly increased comfort for patients as well as nurses and was significantly more cost-effective than the Acticoat™ dressing for the given indication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wound Healing and Tissue Engineering Unit, Gent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: vp15vnj@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verbelen
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wound Healing and Tissue Engineering Unit, Gent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Henk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hoeksema
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wound Healing and Tissue Engineering Unit, Gent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heyneman
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wound Healing and Tissue Engineering Unit, Gent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium; Amsterdam Plastic Surgery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pirayesh
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wound Healing and Tissue Engineering Unit, Gent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: Stan.Monstrey@UGent.be.
authors.forename: Stan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Monstrey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002056:Burns / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009779:Occlusive Dressings / Q000191:economics / Q000382:microbiology; D010146:Pain; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011091:Polyesters / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011095:Polyethylenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018030:Silver Compounds / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C117408:Acticoat; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D011091:Polyesters; D011095:Polyethylenes; D018030:Silver Compounds; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium
keywords: Cost-effective; Hydrofiber silver dressing; Laser Doppler imaging; Nanocrystalline silver; Partial thickness burn; Silver dressing