The Acticoat glove-an effective dressing for the completely burnt hand: how we do it

The choice of the silver impregnated Acticoat dressing (Smith & Nephew, UK) for burns is well documented due to its recognised sustained bactericidal activity, reduction of inflammation and ability to promote healing. Its use in the burnt hand, however, is a compromise between adequate dressing cover of this injury and the ability to splint and perform hand therapy on the injured limb. Trying to wrap individual fingers, maintaining web spaces and keep a relatively light dressing for the hand therapists is often difficult and time consuming. We introduce a simple, effective method of creating a custom made Acticoat glove which provides a thin, light dressing covering the hands allowing full mobilisation of the wrist and finger joints.