Controlling wound bioburden with a novel silver‐containing Hydrofiber® dressing

Clinicians now recognize that both aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms have the ability to degrade or damage host tissue at a wound site through the production of a variety of enzymes and toxins. Silver‐containing dressings offer one method for controlling this polymicrobial wound bioburden, and research efforts are currently ongoing to determine their efficacy against aerobic, anaerobic, and antibiotic‐resistant microorganisms. The current study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity of a new silver‐containing Hydrofiber ® dressing (AQUACEL ® Ag) on both aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms, using the zone‐of‐inhibition method. This method provides a measure of the ability of the dressing to make available a sufficient concentration of silver to have an antimicrobial effect. To some extent this test mimics the clinical use of the dressing and predicts its microbicidal activity at the wound–dressing interface. The results show that the silver‐containing dressing makes silver available at a dressing–agar interface at a concentration that is effective against a broad range of aerobic, anaerobic, and antibiotic‐resistant microorganisms. In the context of wound healing, the results showing antimicrobial activity against antibiotic‐resistant microorganisms are particularly important, as the control and eradication of these organisms is a major concern within the health care profession.