Silver and nanoparticles of silver in wound dressings: a review of efficacy and safety

Lucy Wilkinson, RJ White, James Chipman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

154 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Wound infections present a significant clinical challenge, impacting on patient morbidity and mortality, with significant economic implications. Silver-impregnated wound dressings have the potential to reduce both wound bioburden and healing time. The silver ion Ag+ is the active antimicrobial entity; it can interfere with thiol (-SH) groups and provoke the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), a major contributor to its antibacterial efficacy. Recently, silver nanoparticles have gained considerable interest in wound bioburden reduction and in anti-inflammation, as they can release Ag+ ions at a greater rate than bulk silver, by virtue of their large surface area. If released from dressings, they also have the potential to cross biological compartments. This review aims to consolidate recent findings as to the efficacy and safety of different formulations of silver used as an antiseptic agent in dressings, summarising the features of silver nanomaterials, with particular attention to the dose-dependencies for biological effects, highlighting the need for information on their uptake and potential biological effects.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)543-9
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Wound Care
Volume20
Issue number11
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2011

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Silver and nanoparticles of silver in wound dressings: a review of efficacy and safety'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this