AQUACEL^® Ag BURN glove and silver sulfadiazine for the treatment of partial thickness hand burns: A retrospective review

Abstract

Background: Loss of hand function has a detrimental impact on the physical and psychosocial functioning of those with hand burns. Of prime importance is the maintenance of range of movement (ROM). Subsequently, an ideal hand dressing needs to allow for full ROM, be comfortable, and facilitate healing. However, hand burns present complex challenges for burn clinicians with the dressing of choice remaining controversial. Patients and Methods: This retrospective review was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of the AQUACEL ® Ag BURN glove as compared to silver sulfadiazine (SSD; standard care) in patients with partial thickness hand burns. The average total body surface area % was 14.6% with an average age of 37 years. Eight hands were dressed with an AQUACEL ® Ag BURN glove and eight were dressed with SSD. Results: Pain scores were reduced in those with the glove compared to those who were treated with SSD dressing. Mobility of the hand with the glove was reduced compared to the patients treated with SSD. The glove cost including outer dressings was $330 US, this is compared to $432 US for the SSD dressing based on the average reepithelization rate of 15 days, and translates into a financial saving of approximately $100 US per patient and further reduces workload and resources. Conclusion: The use of a hydrofiber silver impregnated glove for partial thickness hand burns, has clinical significance in the outpatient setting reducing the need for hospitalization, and the amount of dressing changes required.

Smart Polymeric Wound Dressing for Treating Partial-Thickness Burns: A Preliminary Preclinical Study on the Porcine Model

“…In addition, hydrocolloids potentially encourage the autolytic debridement of the devitalized tissues, facilitating the healing process and prolonging the time between dressing changes [7]. Nevertheless, regardless of the advantages of these types of dressings, for nearly 50 years, silver-containing agents, namely silver sulfadiazine and hydrofiber, such as Aquacel Ag ® , were conservatively used as an additive against bacterial colonization of wounds and partial-thickness burns [25][26][27][28][29][30][31]. However, in the last decade, there has been growing evidence suggesting the replacement of silver additives (Ag) with alternatives, such as polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) [32][33][34][35][36].…”