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Acticoat* Science of Silver

This information is intended for Healthcare Professionals only.

 
 
 
 
 

Step 1. Understanding silver, why do we use it?

We have known about the powerful effects of silver for centuries, but why is it
so good at killing bacteria? This is because silver ions (electrically charged
atoms) kill microbes. They do this by blocking the pathways that allow them to
breathe.

This has led to silver being used a great deal in the management of wounds,
where many types of infection are often present. Silver products exist in a
variety of forms and one of the most recent introductions is Nanocrystalline
silver.

In order to achieve antimicrobial effect, silver needs to be in ionic form (in other
words, in solution). Studies have shown that individual strains of bacteria are
susceptible to silver (i.e. killed), at a range of concentrations, depending upon
the type of silver species available. Ideally a silver dressing will maintain its
antimicrobial efficacy for prolonged use.

/
Step 2. Understanding nanocrystalline† silver & why it's different

When choosing a silver dressing, care should be taken to ensure that :-

Silver is available quickly to protect the wound from

infection.
An appropriate concentration of silver is available to
kill a broad range of bacteria, which may be present in
the wound.
The silver is available for a prolonged duration,
preferably for the duration that the dressing is in
place.
The silver is not rapidly deactivated or consumed.
Nanocrystalline silver is a highly soluble form of silver that exists in tiny crystals,
which are not visible to the naked eye. When coated onto the dressing material
the crystals provide a large surface area, which when exposed to a wound, is
greater than the same area of metallic silver. Some other forms of silver can
take hours to work, which will allow time for bacteria to reproduce.
Nanocrystalline silver starts to work ( in-vitro) in as little as thirty minutes and
releases silver ions ( in-vitro ) at a concentration of around 70 parts per million
(ppm), in water.

In traditional silver products (such as silver nitrate), most of the silver carries a
strong positive electrical charge, which makes it highly soluble, but this also
means that it reacts readily with substances such as the chloride from the salt
in the wound, turning it into silver chloride, which makes it ineffective. As a
result, dressings using these silver compounds provide a high initial release of
silver ions, but most of this is then rapidly inactivated. These dressings will need
to be frequently changed.

Nanocrystalline silver releases both silver ions and metallic silver. The result is
the available silver does not react with chloride as quickly as ionic silver and is
not inactivated so soon by the wound fluid and salts. Once the initial
concentration of silver ions is used up the metallic silver then converts into
silver ions. This enables the antimicrobial benefits of Nanocrystalline silver to
last longer and continue to kill bacteria, whilst the dressing is in place, without
needing to be applied again and again.

Magnification of nancrystalline silver Magnification of normal silver

 

/
Step 3. Understanding Acticoat dressings
Nanocrystalline silver is the antimicrobial component in the Acticoat range of
dressings. Acticoat has one layer of absorbent rayon-polyester, sandwiched
between two layers of silver coated HDPE, while Acticoat 7 (a dressing made for
extended use) has two sheets of absorbent material and three layers of silver
coated HDPE. The silver sheets provide a microbial barrier and the absorbent
core helps maintain a moist healing environment.

Acticoat does not release its silver all in one go; the silver continues to be
released, providing constant levels of silver within solution. Scientists have
shown that the total available silver in the Acticoat range of dressing is not
matched by other silver dressings. Acticoat remains effective for up to three
days, and Acticoat 7 for up to seven days. This means that the dressing remains
effective over the wear time of the dressing. The dressing also provides patient
comfort and added convenience.

It is important for silver dressings to be effective against a wide range of

organisms and not just those, which may in-vitro be susceptible to a low dose of
silver. Acticoat dressings are effective against most of the bacteria, fungi, yeasts
and moulds present in infected wounds. In fact they are effective (in-vitro)
against over 150 types of pathogens4 including resistant organisms such as
methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant
enterococcus (VRE):Types of bacteria Acticoat is effective against:

Type Sample species

P.aeruginosa; P.stutzeri; Enterobacter

Gram-negative bacteria
Gram-positive bacteria
Antibiotic-resistant
bacteria
Yeasts and moulds
cloacae; E coli; K pneumoniae
S aureus; S epidermidis;
Enterococcus faecium; Enterococcus
faecalis
MRSA; VRE; multi-drug resistant
P.aeruginosa; vancomycin-resistant
Enterococcus faecium
Candida glabrata; Candida albicans;
Candida tropicalis; Saccharomyces
cerevisiae

Step 4. Advanced dressings for everyday wounds

Although Acticoat has been shown to be very helpful in the management of
complex, infected wounds, it also works to protect everyday wounds from the
risk of infection, saving time and money and reducing distress to the patient.
 

Acticoat works rapidly. The bacteria killing effect takes place in-vitro in as little
as 30 minutes. Acticoat will then continue to maintain an effective barrier for up
to three days (and up to seven days with Acticoat 7) meaning that dressings
don't have to be changed so often. The wound will then not have to be
manipulated, which can cause trauma to new skin growth.

Inflammation is a constant feature of chronic wounds and can cause severe

problems by affecting the healing process. In a number of studies MMP levels
and their activity, key parameters in the wound healing process, appeared to be
affected by the application of Acticoat dressings. The likely reasons for this
effect is Acticoat's ability to reduce bacterial proliferation, a recognised cause of
chronic inflammation in wounds. By preventing and reducing bacterial
proliferation Acticoat can assist faster healing.

 
/
Step 5. Using Acticoat
 

View range of products and instructions for use on Product Range (/new-zealan
d/healthcare/products/product-types/antimicrobial-dressings/silver-dressings/a
cticoat--product-range/) page.

   

   
 

< Back to Product Page  (/new-zealand/healthcare/products/product-types/antimicrobial

-dressings/silver-dressings/acticoat--product-range/)

 
† Nanocrystalline Silver is a patented technology of NUCRYST Pharmaceuticals Corp.
TM SILCRYST is a trademark of NUCRYST Pharmaceuticals Corp, used under licence