Silver Coated Dressing and Microcurrent for Wound Healing

Prospective, randomized controlled study of the efficacy of silver coated nylon dressing plus active sham microcurrent for healing autogenous skin donor sites

Protocol

  • Location: Army burn unit in Fort Sam Houston, Texas

SilverlonBurnDressings.jpg

Images courtesy of Silverlon

Silverlon® Burn Dressings

Burn injuries account for up to 20% of conventional combat casualties, and expose their victims to infection, organ dysfunction, and severe dehydration. The efficacy of direct microcurrent in combination with an FDA-approved silver nylon dressing is evaluated in the treatment of skin donor sites for partial thickness thermal injuries.

Objective

Burn injuries pose a continuous threat to the military community. The ever-present threat of thermal injuries to military personnel makes them common, accounting for up to 20% of conventional warfare casualties. Silver coated wound dressings have been shown to reduce bacterial growth, limit nosocomial infection, and reduce the frequency of secondary bacteremia; the application of microcurrent and silver nylon has promising clinical implications.

Research design

This single-center, prospective, randomized sham-controlled study (n=30) will evaluate the efficacy of a silver-coated dressing with active or sham microcurrent on wound-closure time for autogenous skin donor sites.

Methodology

The primary endpoint is wound-closure time, defined as re-epithelialization of 90% or more of wound surface. Dressings will be checked at least once per day beginning 24 hours after surgery while the patient is hospitalized, and thereafter at the discretion of the surgeon, until healing occurs. Secondary endpoints include pain and infection. Exploratory assessments of clinical outcomes, including inflammation and pain medication (type, dosage, route, and timing) will also be conducted.

Outcome

This research project was started under the FAIM umbrella and has been transferred to another institution for completion.

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