Summary
A prospective study following noninfected wounds that were healing slowly during silver dressing treatment. Patients then received copper dressings, and the authors recorded wound progress after that change; treatment was sequential rather than in parallel comparison groups.
- Study type
- Prospective single-arm study
- Study size
- 20 patients (22 wounds; two patients had two wounds); 5 patients withdrew; one rehabilitation centre in Israel
Each wound was first treated with silver dressings and then with copper dressings, so the comparison is sequential rather than between randomised groups.
Key findings
- Over a comparable 25-day period, average wound area reduction was 87.35 ± 22.4% during copper treatment and 37.02 ± 25.11% during the preceding silver treatment (p<0.001).
- Average daily decline in wound area was 1.2% with silver and 2.14% with copper (p=0.002).
- Average treatment periods were 25.6 days with silver and 29.6 days with copper (p=0.25).
- None of the wounds became infected.
- Five patients withdrew because of complications not related to the wound.