Silver has been used for its extraordinary properties dating back to times of ancient Romans. It has been used for treating a variety of diseases, mostly infections and has been used to disinfect water and food, but also for the treatment of burns and wounds as a wound dressing. Silver solutions were approved in the 1920s by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use as antibacterial agents. Today, silver-containing wound dressings are well established for clinical wound care.
The advantages of silver as an antiseptic
In comparison to other antiseptics, silver has its advantage in being effective on a broad range of germs even in small concentrations and over a long period of time, and this being non-toxic at the same time.
Silver for wound care – the antiseptic action
Silver ions are highly active and penetrate bacterial membranes rapidly. They interact with enzymes and other proteins in bacteria, causing cellular distortion and loss of viability. Furthermore silver ions interact with the bacterial cell wall and bind to bacterial DNA and RNA causing an inhibition of bacterial replication. Clinical studies clearly demonstrate that silver provides a significant inhibition of a wide range of germs.
