Charcoal combined with silver for the treatment of chronic wounds

Actisorb TM dressing with silver (Systagenix Wound Management) consists principally of activated carbon impregnated with metallic silver. The carbonised fabric is enclosed in a sleeve of spun-bonded non-woven nylon, sealed along all four edges, to facilitate handling and reduce particle and fibre loss. When applied to a wound the dressing adsorbs locally released toxins and the products of wound degradation. Bacteria present in wound exudate are also attracted to the surface of the dressing where they are killed by the antimicrobial activity of the silver, which is active against a wide range of pathogenic organisms. This dressing has been used clinically for many years and, in the author’s opinion, was one of the first dressings to efficiently and favourably modulate the microenvironment of chronic wounds. The ActisorbTM dressing is marketed as ACTISORBTM Silver 220 in the United Kingdom and ACTISORBTM Ag+ in France.