Clinical effectiveness of antimicrobial dressings

Wound healing is a complex process in which infection prevention is critical. Wound colonization by microorganisms is a universal phenomenon, but their mere presence has no negative impact on the wound healing process. The bioburden of microorganisms in a wound is usually kept under control. This is accomplished by applying various antimicrobials topically or through antimicrobial dressings, which control the release of the active gent inside the wound. Aside from known antibiotics, common agents incorporated into antimicrobial wound dressings include silver, iodine-based antiseptics, chlorhexidine, octenidine, polyhexamethylene biguanide, and natural products such as honey, aloe vera gel, chitosan, curcumin, and certain essential oils from various plant sources. The purpose of this chapter is to review the clinical effectiveness of antimicrobial dressings containing these agents in a variety of acute and chronic wounds.