Nanocrystalline-Coated Silver Dressings for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes after Surgical Coronary Revascularization.
Monika Parys, Tomasz Jaźwiec, Anetta Kowalczuk-Wieteska and 8 others
PMID 31625966WHAT IT FOUND
A nanocrystalline silver dressing strategy did not significantly reduce superficial sternal wound infection over 30 days in patients with type 2 diabetes after coronary bypass compared with standard sterile dressing care: infection rates were 11.7% versus 16.67%.
Key findings
01In 194 patients, the primary endpoint, superficial sternal wound infection within 30 days, occurred in 26 patients (13.4%).
02No significant difference was found between the silver dressing strategy and standard sterile dressing care (11.7% vs 16.67%, P = .450).
03No deep wound infection criteria were met in either group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a pilot, single-center, open-label trial, and the authors state the sample size was relatively small. Most patients were assessed on postoperative day 30 by telephone rather than in person, which may have made superficial wound infection harder to detect. The comparison mixed dressing material with dressing-change frequency, so it cannot isolate the effect of nanocrystalline silver alone. No deep wound infection occurred, so the study cannot inform prevention of deep sternal infection.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not report funding or conflicts of interest; it states that datasets are available from the first author on request.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that nanocrystalline silver is ineffective or that standard dressings are better. The primary outcome was not significantly different, the trial was a small pilot, and the groups used different dressing-change schedules, so it cannot establish superiority or equivalence.