Antibacterial activity of silver-coated antimicrobial dressings used in the infected pressure ulcers

OBJECTIVE To assess the antibacterial activity of silver-coated antimicrobial dressings in infected Ⅲ,Ⅳ stage pressure ulcers so as to provide basis for the control of wound infections and the promotion of wound healing.METHODS A total of 42 patients(58 sites) Ⅲ-Ⅳ stage pressure ulcers which were diagnosed as wound infections were enrolled in the study.The ulcers were randomly assigned into two groups: the experimental group and the control group.The experimental group,21 patients with 28 pressure ulcers,was treated with silver-coated antimicrobial dressings,while the control group,21 patients with 30 pressure ulcers,received a treatment with traditional care.Meanwhile intervention of off loading,nutrition,activity instruction and skin care were given,both of the two groups of patients underwent the wound bed preparation and antibiotics intravenous infusion.The pressure ulcer scale of healing(PUSH),time of debridement and healing,and frequency of wound dressing were recorded.The scores of PUSH and debridement and healing time of two groups were compared.RESULTS Three weeks later,the experimental group was(7.34±2.51),the control group(10.26±2.09),the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P0.01);as for the frequency of dressing in the three weeks,the experimental group was(9.02±1.13) times,the control group was(15.22±2.32) times.There were 16 wounds healed,9 sites obviously effective,and 2 sites effective,and the total effective rate was 96.43% in the experimental group,there were 3 sites healed,8 sites obviously effective,and 10 sites effective,the total effective rate was 70.0% in the control group,the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P0.05).As compared with the time of debridement was different,the experiment group was(15.12±2.05) d,the control group was(23.24±8.18)d,the subsided time of local symptoms of the experiment group was(5.34±2.13) d,the control group(9.15±3.12) d;the difference in the time of wound debridement and the subsided time of local symptoms between the two groups was statistically significant(P0.05).The SIRS control time of the experiment group was(15.24±3.12) d,the control group(15.37±2.48) d,the difference was not statistically significant.CONCLUSION Both the wound debridement time and the control time of local infections of the experimental group are shorter than that of the control group,with the wound healing more rapid than the control group,the dressing frequency less than the control group,which indicates that the wound healing rate of the experiment group is higher than the control group.Therefore,the new type of silver-coated antimicrobial dressings is superior to the traditional povidone-iodine gauze in the control of the infected pressure ulcers,it can shorten the debridement time as well as improve the wounds healing.