Comparison of efficacy of 1% silver sulfadiazine and acticoat™ for treatment of partial-thickness burn wounds

Abstract

Background: Acticoat□(Smith & Nephew, Hull, UK) is a silver-coated dressing reported to reduce infection and exhibit antimicrobial activity in wounds. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to compare the efficacy of acticoat□ and 1% silver sulfadiazine (1% AgSD) for treatment of partial thickness burn wounds. Material and Method: The authors reviewed 50 patients who had partial thickness burn wounds less than 25% admitted to Siriraj Burn Unit from May 2002 to September 2005. All patients were divided into 2 groups: the acticoat□ treated group (25 patients) and the 1% silver sulfadiazine treated group (25 patients). The 2 groups were compared for the etiology of burn wound, demographic data including age, sex,% Total Body Surface Area burn (TBSA%), cultured organisms, wound infection and outcome of Length Of hospital Stay (LOS) and level of pain. Results: The authors found no significant differences in age, TBSA(%) between both groups. 7 patients (28%) developed wound infection. There were no differences in wound infection and LOS between both groups (p > 0.05). All of the patients who developed wound infection responded well to targeted topical and systemic antibiotic treatment. The 1% AgSD treated group (6 of 25, 24%) obtained more split thickness skin graft to close the granulation defects compared to patients who were treated with acticoat™ (4 of 25,16%) but no statistical significance, p = 0.32). Average pain scores in the acticoat™ treated groups were significantly lower than the 1% AgSD treated group (4 □ 0.6 versus 5 □ 0.7, respectively). Conclusion: The present study confirms the efficacy of acticoat□ treatment in partial thickness burn wound. The authors conclude that acticoat□ has an advantage of limiting the frequency of replacement of the dressing and provides a less painful alternative to wound care with 1% AgSD with comparable incidence of burn wound infection. This is due to its long wear time and the ease of application and removal.