Wound care is often overlooked in the prevention of healthcare-acquired infections (HCAIs). However, surgical and wound sites are easy points of entry for bacteria if left without adequate protection.
SMITH & NEPHEW addresses this issue by providing a range of dressings that are proven to provide qualities that help prevent HCAIs. The company has developed and launched a variety of such products, including the IV3000, a highly permeable film dressing for IV sites, and the ACTICOAT range of silver antimicrobial barrier dressings. New data from Hope R et al (2012) The in-vitro antibacterial activity of nanocrystalline silver dressings against bacteria with NDM-1 carbapenemase presented recently at the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) conference shows that ACTICOAT dressings may be relevant to helping prevent wound infections with the highly resistant bacteria carrying the NDM-1 enzyme. The study investigated the antibacterial efficacy of ACTICOAT nanocrystalline silver dressings versus five isolates of NDM-1 carrying bacteria and found that ACTICOAT achieved >99.99% reduction in these bacteria within 30 minutes (in-vitro).
