Silver Dressings Cut Healing Time More Than Iodine in Wounds, suggests study

Key Findings

• The meta-analysis found that silver dressings cut down wound healing time considerably compared to iodine dressings by a standardised mean difference of -0.95 (95% Confidence Interval [CI] −1.62 to −0.28; I² = 92%; p = 0.005), which represents a moderate quality of evidence.

• But there was no significant difference in the healing rate between the two groups (RR = 1.29, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.85; I² = 91%; p = 0.16), according to low-quality evidence.

• For exudate control, of 3 studies that reported data, 66.7% (2/3) supported silver dressings for improved fluid management.

• Pain outcomes were inconsistent. Of 7 studies, 4 (57.1%) reported no significant difference in pain relief between the two dressings, whereas 3 (42.9%) reported silver dressings to produce better pain reduction.

• Anti-infective effectiveness was examined in 11 out of 13 studies included. Under this category, 6 studies (54.5%) found that silver and iodine dressings were equally effective in infection prevention. On the other hand, 4 studies (36.4%) advocated for enhanced antibacterial efficacy of silver dressings.

Silver dressings reduce healing time more than iodine dressings without sacrificing healing rate or infection control. Although for some secondary outcomes there is limited and low-quality evidence, the results lean towards silver dressings as a possibly more effective option in wound management. High-quality randomized trials are required to validate these results across different types of wounds and populations.

Reference:

Jiang, Y., Zhang, Q., Wang, H., Välimäki, M., Zhou, Q., Dai, W., & Guo, J. (2024). Effectiveness of silver and iodine dressings on wound healing: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open, 14(8), e077902. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077902