What is ACTICOAT? 

ACTICOAT is a range of flexible, absorbent and conformable wound dressings ^1,2 that utilses the antimicrobial properties of silver to provide an efficient and effective barrier to bacterial penetration ³. ACTICOAT is different, for both patients and budgets. 

ACTICOAT for Patients

The ACTICOAT range assists faster wound healing and is proven in over 10 years of clinical trials ^4,5,6. Patients benefit from a dressing that has a rapid antimicrobial action ^7,8,9,10shown to be effective (in-vitro) against a broad spectrum of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria and fungal wound pathogens ^11,12.

In a comparison study of silver containing dressings on infected chronic wounds, patients experienced a faster rate of healing when treated with ACTICOAT compared to other silver dressings ¹³.

Wound odour can have profound psychological effects on the patient ¹⁵, ACTICOAT has also been shown to have the ability to decrease the number of odour causing bacteria (in-vitro) ¹⁴.

Studies have shown patients with acute wounds facing less wound complications when ACTICOAT is used ^12,16 and, in some cases, faster rates of wound healing ¹⁷.

ACTICOAT is widely reviewed in the burns arena with studies showing decreased pain vs SSD, ^18,23 less dressing changes vs traditional approaches ^19,20 and reduced complication rates ²¹. A 2006 study in Western Australia showed ACTICOAT as a contributing factor to burns patients having a shorter length of stay ²² and reduced antibiotic usage vs SSD ²².

ACTICOAT for Budgets

As well as providing the patient with a comfortable and effective dressing, the ACTICOAT range also benefits the clinicians that work with it and the Health Care Systems that pay for it and associated treatment.

ACTICOAT is easy to apply and remove making dressing changes easier for both clinicians and patients ²³. The sustained silver release (in-vitro) ^24,25 means that the dressing can act as a long lasting antimicrobial barrier ^24,25 and, in the case of ACTICOAT 7 and ACTICOAT Flex 7, can remain in place for up to 7 days ^24,25 (demonstrated in-vitro).

ACTICOAT has been shown to promote faster healing through its ability to maintain a moist wound environment ²⁶ coupled with a fast ^7,8,9,10 and effective ^11,12 antibacterial action (demonstrated in-vitro). ACTICOAT has been shown to shorten in-patient stay compared to SSD ²¹. The resulting decrease in bed time and subsequent nursing time means that ACTICOAT has been demonstrated to lower overall treatment costs compared to SSD in the high cost burns arena ²⁷. ACTICOAT has also been shown to be more effective in a chronic setting by promoting faster wound healing compared to competitors ¹³. In a comparative study ACTICOAT was shown to not only result in faster time to resolution of infection ²⁸ but also a decreased overall cost compared to competitors.