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Updated: Aug 19, 2025
Severe Burn Injury in a Swine Model for Clinical Dressing Assessment
Published on: November 6, 2018
Treatment of experimentally induced partial-thickness burns in rats with different silver-impregnated dressings
Carolyna de Sousa Carvalho1, Milton Junio Cândido Bernardes2, Randys Caldeira Gonçalves1
1MSc. Universidade Federal de Goiás - Tropical Pathology and Public Health Institute - Tropical Medicine and Public Health Graduation Program - Goiânia (GO), Brazil.
Purpose:
To evaluate the morphometric, macroscopic and microscopic aspects of experimentally induced partial-thickness burns in rats treated with different silver-based dressings.
Methods:
Wistar rats were used, divided into six treatments: saline (NaCl 0.9%); silver sulfadiazine 1%; Silvercel; Mepilex Ag; Aquacel Ag and Acticoat. The animals were monitored daily and euthanized at 7, 14 and 30 days after injury induction (DAI).
Results:
At 7 DAI, necrosis/crust was greater in control, silver sulfadiazine and Mepilex Ag treatments, granulation tissue was induced by Aquacel Ag, polymorphonuclear infiltrate (PMN) infiltration was intensified by Mepilex Ag; mononuclear infiltrate (MN) infiltration and angiogenesis were increased by Silvercel. At 14 DAI, hemorrhage was decreased by Silvercel and Mepilex Ag, PMN infiltration increased by Acticoat. At 30 DAI, angiogenesis was greater in the Acticoat treatment and fibroblasts were increased by Acticoat and Mepilex Ag. Collagen was induced at 14 DAI by silver sulfadiazine and Aquacel Ag and, at 30 DAI, by silver sulfadiazine and Silvercel treatments.
Conclusions:
Silvercel and Acticoat presented better results than the other products. However, all the dressings were better than the control at some point during the process, and may contribute to the healing of partial thickness burns. Silvercel and Aquacel Ag treatments induced better cosmetic outcomes regarding wound closure and scarring.
