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Lab Research
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Visualisation of Hydration and Conformability of Silver-Containing Dressings with a Simulated Wound Surface First Author: Mike Walker Authors: Mike Walker The ability of a dressing to conform to the contours of a wound bed is important to reduce open or ‘dead' spaces where bacteria may proliferate. For antimicrobial dressings such as those containing silver a high degree of conformability with uneven wound surfaces may be particularly important to ensure effectiveness of the antimicrobial dressing at the wound-dressing interface. In these in vitro studies the conformability of a Hydrofiberª dressing (AQUACEL¨ Ag) and two alginate products (SILVERCELª and Acticoatª Absorbent) were compared. The ability of each dressing, secured by an appropriate secondary dressing, to conform to a simulated wound surface (i.e. porcine belly tissue) was investigated using light microscopy techniques, and the degree of conformability for each dressing was recorded using an Image-Pro-Plus 5.0 system (MediaCybernetics, UK). The results showed that following hydration the Hydrofiberª dressings formed a cohesive gelled structure that provided excellent conformability with the simulated wound surface. In contrast both alginate dressings conformed less well to a simulated wound surface following hydration. These findings may have clinical implications in the management of microbiologically compromised wounds. |
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