Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Hand hygiene01:23

Hand hygiene

Asepsis is the practice of preventing or breaking the chain of infection. The nurse employs aseptic techniques to prevent the spread of microorganisms and reduce the risk of diseases. Hand hygiene is the cornerstone of aseptic techniques and is classified into medical and surgical asepsis. Medical asepsis includes hand hygiene and the use of gloves. Surgical asepsis, or the sterile technique, refers to practices that render and keep objects and areas free of microorganisms.
Hand washing...
Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures01:22

Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures

Essential infection prevention measures are based on the knowledge of the infection chain, the modes of transmission in healthcare settings, and the use of the best practices in all healthcare settings. Compulsory public reporting of healthcare-associated infection rates is needed to allow individuals and the community to make informed choices regarding selecting a healthcare facility.
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
Surface Membrane Barriers01:18

Surface Membrane Barriers

The skin and mucous membranes serve as the primary line of defense against pathogens by providing both physical and chemical protection. These barriers are essential in preventing the entry and establishment of microbes, thereby maintaining the integrity of the host.
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is a robust barrier comprising layers of closely packed keratinized cells. This dense arrangement prevents microbes from penetrating the body. The periodic shedding of epidermal cells...
Asepsis01:28

Asepsis

The condition of being free from disease-causing living pathogens is asepsis. Aseptic techniques include a set of standard practices to achieve asepsis. An example is the regular environmental cleaning of all parts of the healthcare facility and hand hygiene at home before preparing or eating food. Medical and surgical asepsis in healthcare practice protects patients from harmful pathogens, minimizes the risk of contamination of susceptible sites, and reduces the risk of infection transmission.
Staphylococcal Skin Infections01:29

Staphylococcal Skin Infections

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive coccus that resides harmlessly on the skin and mucous membranes of healthy individuals. When the skin barrier is breached, it can shift from a commensal to an opportunistic pathogen. This transition is facilitated by surface adhesins, such as clumping factor B and S. aureus surface protein G (SasG), which bind to structural proteins, including loricrin and cytokeratin, in the damaged epidermis. Protein A, another key factor, binds the Fc region of...
Standard Precaution01:26

Standard Precaution

Standard precautions are the minimum infection control safeguards used while caring for all patients, irrespective of their disease condition. They help prevent the spread of common infectious microorganisms to healthcare workers, patients, and visitors in all healthcare settings.
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Shared decision-making in pediatric physical therapy: A qualitative study among adolescents, parents, and physical therapists.

PloS one·2026
Same author

Risk assessment reasoning and decision-making by ambulance professionals in patients with a transient loss of consciousness: a qualitative study.

Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine·2026
Same author

Decision regret and shared decision-making in patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Diving and hyperbaric medicine·2026
Same author

Strategies to Position the Clinical Academic Nurse in University, Teaching and General Hospitals.

Journal of advanced nursing·2026
Same author

Key factors associated with nurse retention and how they work: A mixed-methods study.

International journal of nursing studies advances·2026
Same author

Evaluating Nurses' Perspectives on the Acceptability and Practicality of Comfort Rounding for Personalised Nutritional and Mobility Care in Surgical Wards: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study.

Journal of advanced nursing·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2026

A Standardized Procedure of Dressing Management for Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis
07:22

A Standardized Procedure of Dressing Management for Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis

Published on: March 14, 2025

Topical silver for preventing wound infection.

Marja N Storm-Versloot1, Cornelis G Vos, Dirk T Ubbink

  • 1Department of Surgery, Academic Medical Centre at the University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1105 AZ.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|March 19, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Evidence is lacking to confirm if silver-containing wound dressings prevent infection or promote healing. Some studies suggest silver sulphadiazine (SSD) may increase infection risk, highlighting a need for more research on these popular wound treatments.

More Related Videos

Collecting And Measuring Wound Exudate Biochemical Mediators In Surgical Wounds
04:58

Collecting And Measuring Wound Exudate Biochemical Mediators In Surgical Wounds

Published on: October 20, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 15, 2026

A Standardized Procedure of Dressing Management for Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis
07:22

A Standardized Procedure of Dressing Management for Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis

Published on: March 14, 2025

Collecting And Measuring Wound Exudate Biochemical Mediators In Surgical Wounds
04:58

Collecting And Measuring Wound Exudate Biochemical Mediators In Surgical Wounds

Published on: October 20, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Wound Care and Management
  • Antimicrobial Therapies
  • Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

  • Silver-containing treatments are widely used in wound care for their broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties.
  • However, robust clinical evidence supporting their efficacy in preventing wound infections or accelerating healing remains limited.
  • This review critically examines the existing evidence for silver-based wound interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically evaluate the effectiveness of silver-containing wound dressings and topical agents.
  • Key objectives include assessing their impact on preventing wound infections and promoting wound healing.
  • The study aims to provide clarity on the clinical utility of these popular treatments.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (Cochrane Wounds Group, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL) up to May 2009.
  • Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing silver-containing products with non-silver or other silver-containing comparators on uninfected wounds were included.
  • Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were performed independently by two authors.

Main Results:

  • Twenty-six RCTs involving 2066 patients were identified; heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis.
  • For burns, evidence was conflicting: some trials showed reduced infection with silver nitrate, while others indicated increased infection with silver sulphadiazine (SSD) compared to non-silver dressings.
  • For other wounds, most comparisons found no significant difference in infection rates; only one trial suggested improved healing time with a silver-containing hydrofibre dressing in diabetic foot ulcers.

Conclusions:

  • There is insufficient high-quality evidence to support the use of silver-containing dressings or topical agents for preventing infection or promoting wound healing.
  • Conversely, some low-quality evidence suggests that silver sulphadiazine (SSD) may potentially increase infection rates.
  • Further rigorous research is warranted to definitively establish the role of silver in wound management.