Silver in the medical devices/equipments: Marketing or real clinical interest?

Summary Objectives This paper presents a review of silver compounds containing medical devices and their clinical efficacy. It is a question of discussing the level of methodological validation of the clinical studies and the efficiency of silver in terms of reducing the occurrence of infections besides its eventual toxicity. Finally, we describe the new concept of anti-inflammatory property of silver. Methodology The methodological design of clinical studies related to silver was discussed with emphasis on wound healing. Whenever possible, controlled, randomised trials, multicenter study or expert opinion were included for the evaluation of silver dressing efficacy. All clinical studies were reviewed for other silver compounds containing devices as well as for the recent hypothesis on anti-inflammatory activity of silver. Technical documentation of pharmaceuticals companies was used otherwise. Results The results vary from one device to another with, nevertheless, for each device significant differences relating to colonization of bacteria. With regard to the treatment of wounds, only a small number of studies show significant differences in the efficiency among the dressings or topical containing silver and the verifications used. Discussion/Conclusion The research works had equally revealed a new path capable of explaining the pro-healing and anti-inflammatory properties of nanoparticles of silver.