A Silver Impregnated Antimicrobial Dressing Reduces Hospital Length of Stay for Pediatric Patients With Burns

Abstract

We sought to study whether the application of a novel silver impregnated antimicrobial dressing (Aquacel ®Ag, ConvaTec, Princeton, NJ) affects the hospital length of stay in pediatric patients with partial-thickness burns. A retrospective review of Burn Registry Data from a large children's hospital burn unit was conducted to answer this question. Pediatric patients admitted with partial-thickness burns treated with Aquacel ®Ag from January 2005 through August 2005 were included in the study (n = 39). The comparison group of patients treated with silver sulfadiazine (SSD®; Par Pharmeceuticals, Woodcliff, NJ) cream was matched for age and %TBSA burned from the same time period the previous year (n = 40). Analysis was conducted for intent to treat. Mean length of stay for control patients treated with SSD® was significantly longer (8.36 days) compared with Aquacel Ag-treated patients (4.48 days; p = .002, t-test for unequal variances). Length of stay for both groups was significantly associated with %TBSA burned (p < .001, r² = .38). Post-hoc analysis controlling for %TBSA burned revealed an adjusted mean length of stay for the control group that was longer than that of the Aquacel ®Ag group (5.9 days vs. 3.8 days, respectively). These data confirm that application of a new burn dressing (Aquacel Ag) reduces hospital length of stay. Reduction in the complexity and number of dressing changes needed with use of Aquacel ®Ag, in combination with significantly reduced length of stay, should result in a significant cost savings in the care of this patient population.