A Silver Bullet in Reducing Infections?

Silver is precious not only for its beauty and monetary value, but it may also have significant benefits in fighting off bacterial infections. Although silver is not new in the medical world—Hippocrates described its use in wound care as far back as 400 BC—the reason silver is so effective in infection control has only recently been identified. Turns out it is not the silver itself that is antimicrobial, Raul Brizuela, president and CEO of Argentum Medical, told MD+DI. Rather, it is the silver ions that are released when it is exposed to moisture. What makes these ions so effective in fighting infection is that they attack bacteria with multiple modes of action, he said. Brizuela explains that these actions include the silver ion binding to the bacteria cell wall so that nutrients cannot pass through. Because the ions bind to the cell wall, oxygen also cannot get in. The ion then penetrates the cell wall and binds with its DNA and nucleus, making it impossible for the cell to replicate. “It’s starved, it can’t breathe, and it can’t replicate, therefore it can’t thrive,” Brizuela said. Two recent studies have borne this out. The first is an independent study conducted by the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program. The study “Use of Silver Nylon Dressing Following Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Decreases the Postoperative Infection Rate,” showed a 54 % reduction in superficial and deep prosthetic joint infections (...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Materials & D Source Type: news