The "Sulfamylon sandwich"--a laminated mafenide-saline dressing

Though commercially available 11.2% mafenide acetate cream (Sulfamylon) has been shown to be very effective in preventing burn wound sepsis, it has several serious drawbacks. Five percent mafenide acetate solution dressings are also effective and do not have the disadvantages of the cream. This preparation, however, is not available for general usage. For these reasons, we have devised a laminated dressing using the 11.2% cream and saline, which delivers an aqueous solution of mafenide acetate to the wound. The dressing has proved both effective and acceptable to patients, and is particularly valuable following the application of split-thickness skin grafts to burns and other chronic open wounds. The technique is described.