An Overview on the Recent Advances in the Treatment of Infected Wounds: Antibacterial Wound Dressings

A wound can be surgical cuts from an operation or due to accident and trauma. The infected wound, as a result of bacteria growth within the damaged skin, interrupts the natural wound healing process and significantly impacts the quality of life. Wound dressing is an important segment of the skincare industry with its economic burden estimated at $ 20.4 billion (in 2021) in the global market. The results of recent clinical trials suggest that the use of modern dressings can be the easiest, most accessible, and most cost-effective way to treat chronic wounds and, hence, holds significant promise. With the sheer number of dressings in the market, the selection of correct dressing is confusing for clinicians and healthcare workers. The aim of this research is to review widely used types of antibacterial wound dressings, as well as emerging products, for their efficiency and mode of action. In this review, introducing antibiotics and antibacterial nanoparticles as two important and clinically widely used categories of antibacterial agents is focused. The perspectives and challenges for paving the way for future research in this field are also discussed.