ACTICOAT comes from trusted healthcare products manufacturer Smith & Nephew. It offers a range of flexible, absorbent and conformable wound dressings that utilises the antimicrobial properties of silver to provide an effective and efficient barrier to bacterial penetration.
The antimicrobial properties of Silver have been exploited for centuries. The silver on ACTICOAT dressings is the unique nanocrystalline SILCRYST silver. Silcryst silver is created via a physical vapour deposition process to form a nanocrystalline structure with a large accessible surface area. ACTICOAT with SILCRYST silver possesses the key characteristics of an antimicrobial dressing.
Dressings in the ACTICOAT range have been proven, in vitro, to be effective against a broad spectrum of over 150 wound pathogens – gram positive, gram-negative, anaerobic and resistant bacteria14, including multiple MRSA strains14 and bacteria containing NDM-1 Carbapenemases18. It has a bactericidal effect, unlike some other silvers which are simply bacteriostatic.
Dressings in the ACTICOAT range are proven, in vitro, to begin working within 30 minutes. This rapid action gives the bacteria less time to multiply and allows control to be exerted faster.
The ACTICOAT range provides an antimicrobial barrier for the wear time for the dressing; chose between 3 or 7 days to suit your patient. Please refer to the instructions for use for product specific wear time.
the ACTICOAT range of dressings are available in a variety of forms including ACTICOAT Flex; a conformable wound contact layer that is suitable for use under Negative Pressure Wound Therapy. ACTICOAT Site specifically designed for percutaneous device sites, ACTICOAT Moisture Control; a foam based dressing and ACTICOAT Absorbent; a calcium alginate dressing. This wide range of dressing types ensures that the appropriate form can be selected.
The ACTICOAT range assists faster wound healing and is proven safe in over 10 years of clinical trials. Patients benefit from a dressing that has a rapid antimicrobial action,shown to be effective (in-vitro) against a broad spectrum of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria and fungal wound pathogens. In a comparison study of silver containing dressings on infected chronic wounds, patients experienced a faster rate of healing when treated with ACTICOAT compared to other silver dressings. Wound odour can have profound psychological effects on the patient 15, ACTICOAT has also been shown to have the ability to decrease the number of odour causing bacteria (in-vitro). Studies have shown patients with acute wounds facing less wound complications when ACTICOAT is used and, in some cases, faster rates of wound healing. ACTICOAT is widely reviewed in the burns arena with studies showing decreased pain vs SSD, less dressing changes vs traditional approaches and reduced complication rates. A 2006 study in Western Australia showed ACTICOAT as a contributing factor to burns patients having a shorter length of stay and reduced antibiotic usage vs SSD.
