Pilot study of minimally adherent silver dressings for acute surgical wounds

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Minimally adherent silver dressings (SILVER MASD) are antimicrobial, nonirritating, provide a moist wound healing environment, and low cost. The purpose of this pilot, single‐center, non‐blinded randomized controlled trial was to quantify the outcomes of acute surgical wounds treated with MASD versus standard of care (SoC) dressings. METHODS: Thirty‐two patients with acute wounds were randomized 1:1 to be treated with MASD once weekly or SoC following surgical excision of skin and/or subcutaneous tissue between September 13, 2016 and November 28, 2017. The outcome variables included clinical infection, time to wound closure, and pain scores at dressing changes. Two independent, one‐sided sample t‐tests were performed to assess statistical significance. RESULTS: There was no difference in wound healing between SILVER MASD and SoC. Dressing changes were less painful for wounds managed with MASD silver dressings. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that MASD are not less effective in wound healing compared to SoC while also providing the benefit of decreased pain at dressing changes. Therefore, minimally adherent silver dressings can and should be considered a viable option in the management of acute surgical wounds.