Effect of silver colloid dressing over conventional dressings in diabetic foot ulcer: A prospective study

Abstract

Objective: Topical silver treatments and silver dressings are increasingly being utilized for the local treatment of wounds; nevertheless, the evidence for their usefulness is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of conventional dressings and silver colloid dressing on diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) with and without compression therapy. Material and Methods: This prospective, double-blind experiment included 50 patients with non-ischemic DFUs, split into two groups of 25 patients each. The study was conducted for a period of six months. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the entire epithelialization (total healing) of all ulcers on the study leg. Results: The ulcer area significantly decreased in the colloidal silver group (67.77 ± 17.82%) compared to the conventional saline group (21.70 ± 23.52%). When compared to the conventional group, the colloidal silver group required considerably fewer days to reach the endpoint (23.15 ± 8.15 days vs. 48.35 ± 18.07 days), and by day 14, ulcer area reduction (from 100%) was greater (48% in the silver group vs. 89.69% in the conventional group). Conclusion: In managing DFUs, unstructured hydrogel wound dressings using silver colloids based on ionic silver are more effective than regular saline dressings since they heal wounds more quickly in fewer days while also drastically reducing ulcer areas over time.