OSE_1301_part3_Layout 1 1/11/13 11:02 AM Page 144
PRODUCT News
A Silver Solution Against SSIs
Metallic-plated nylon dressings have wounds covered.
S
ilver is known to have antimicrobial properties, which have
been put to use in numerous wound dressing products as an
additional defense against surgical site infections.
Researchers say a greater amount of silver makes for a more effective
defense. According to a published analysis, Silverlon dressings
(www.silverlon.com) deliver more silver for more antibacterial effec-
tiveness than other available options, a claim supported by peerreviewed clinical studies.
Originally developed for the U.S. military and the treatment of
burns, the dressings are made from nylon in which each strand of
fiber has been plated with pure silver. This composition provides
more than 50 times the silver contained in a competitor's market-leading silver-impregnated dressings, the company notes, which increases
its effectiveness against such pathogens as methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus or vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus.
In addition, unlike dressings that
In the OR and at Home
contain nanocrystalline silver,
Silverlon is available in 2 forms:
• Pad dressings. Applied after surgical closings in the OR and covered with gauze or tape.
• Island dressings. For patients who are being
discharged, these dressings cover and affix
the pad with a durable adhesive cover. The
island dressings can be worn in the shower.
Silverlon functions without
1 4 4
depositing other heavy metals into
the wound, which eliminates staining, stinging and increased biobur-
O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | J A N U A R Y 2013
