Comparison between foam dressings impregnated with ionic silver and silver sulfadiazine cream 1% in treating deep burns.

Clinical Snapshot

Key Findings

• P Value: Not reported

• Effect Size: Not quantified in abstract

• Primary Outcome: More effective pain control with ionic silver foam dressings

• Nnt Or Sensitivity: Not calculable from available data

• Confidence Interval: Not reported

Clinical Application

Ionic silver foam dressings readily available but may require staff training for optimal application Both treatments available through PBS for burn management; cost-effectiveness data relevant for hospital formulary decisions and clinical guidelines Adult burn patients with 10-30% TBSA deep burns in specialised burn units

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of foam dressings impregnated with ionic silver (AgF) compared to the traditional treatment of 1% silver sulfadiazine cream (SSD) in deep burns (deep dermal and full-thickness burns) and assess the cost-effectiveness ratio between the two treatments. METHOD: This was a randomised clinical trial of patients who were divided into two equal-sized treatment groups: Group 1-SSD or Group 2 - AgF. Inclusion criteria were patients aged between 18-60 years with burns of thermal origin affecting 10-30% of the body surface area, and with a comparable percentage of deep burns. The following outcomes were analysed: pain; discomfort; wound infection; need for new grafting; ease of dressing application; length of stay; and cost of treatment. RESULTS: A total of 40 patients took part (20 in each group). Regarding patients' experience of pain, data analysis revealed more effective pain control in patients treated with AgF. Additionally, the AgF dressing was considered safer, more comfortable and presented an average lower cost of 30.6% compared to the SSD. CONCLUSION: The findings of this trial showed that, compared to the SSD, the AgF dressings were more effective in treating deep burns, to prepare them for skin graft surgery.

References

1. 1.Almeida, J. B., Coltro, P. S., Nunes, A. A., & Farina, J. A. (2024). Comparison between foam dressings impregnated with ionic silver and silver sulfadiazine cream 1% in treating deep burns. Journal of Wound Care. https://doi.org/10.12968/jowc.2024.0071