Research Shows Topical Silver An Effective Defense Against Growing MRSA Threat
Cases of the potentially deadly, antibiotic-resistent MRSA infections are on the rise and causing growing concern among medical professionals. AcryMed, experts in wound care and infection control technology, released research findings that show silver to be effective in combating MRSA topically.
Portland, OR (PRWEB) July 13, 2005 -- AcryMed Inc., a medical device company
specializing in wound care and infection control technology, today released
research findings that show silver to be effective in combating MRSA topically,
a potentially deadly infection that is raising growing concern among the medical
community. MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a type of germ
dubbed a “super bug’ due to its resistance against penicillin and other common
antibiotics.
According to a recent study conducted by the federal Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, MRSA – an infection once confined to the
hospital environment, is now quickly spreading among the general population. The
CDC estimates that roughly 130,000 people are hospitalized with MRSA each year.
Improperly treated, MRSA - which can be easily spread by casual contact via open
cuts, rug burns and scrapes - can quickly become a difficult to treat and
potentially deadly infection.
The current alarm over the spread of
community MRSA is heightened by the fact that the microbe is resistant to
penicillin, methicillin and most other antibiotics commonly used to treat
infection. Some clinicians within the medical community have expressed deep
concern that MRSA and other so-called “super bugs” can eventually become
uncontrollable.
The new study from AcryMed confirms earlier findings
that silver is a highly effective antimicrobial against MRSA and may be used
topically to prevent the spread of infection.
“The results of our
laboratory testing show that the infection fighting properties of silver is
quite effective in killing the MRSA strain,” said Bruce Gibbins, founder and CTO
of AcryMed. “Used in medical dressings or in ointment form, silver can be an
extremely useful first defense in stopping MRSA before it develops into a
systemic infection. More over, due to the nature of antimicrobial silver, it is
highly unlikely that MRSA or other developing strains of staph infections will
ever build immunities to silver as they have to penicillin and some topical
antibiotics.”
According to Gibbins, the use of topical silver
antimicrobial products in fighting infections also serves to reduce the over use
of antibiotics. This, in turn, can delay the growing immunity that these bugs
are quickly building against penicillin and other commonly used
antibiotics.
An Ancient Treatment
Silver has long been recognized
for its infection-fighting properties. In Ancient Greece and Rome, silver was
used to fight infections and control spoilage. In 1893, the botanist von Nageli
discovered that minute concentrations of silver contained microbiocidal
properties.
Today, silver is commonly recognized by the medical
community as a valuable antimicrobial for treating wounds and burns. Recent
breakthroughs in ionic silver technology have produced new products that make
next-generation silver antimicrobials more effective and easier to use than ever
before. AcryMed, leaders in silver antimicrobial technology has developed
several patented products that sustain the effective infection-fighting
properties of silver from several hours to up to seven days. AcryMed is the only
company to make a silver antimicrobial product that comes in a gel form.
SilvaSorbÒ Gel is easy to apply on all types of cuts and scrapes – making it
particularly effective as a first-line defense in fighting MRSA.
“With
the recent spread of MRSA, people must take special precautions and doctors need
to consider antibiotic-resistant strains when treating infections,” said
Gibbins. “By washing and applying a long-lasting silver antimicrobial product to
scrapes and cuts, people can stop MRSA before they become serious
infections.”
SilvaSorb is distributed in the U.S. exclusively by Medline
Industries. The company manufactures and distributes more than 100,000 products
to hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centers, home care dealers and
agencies and other markets. Medline can be contacted at www.medline.com or (800)
633-5463.
AcryMed
Since 1993, AcryMed has been at the forefront of
breakthroughs in the areas of wound care and infection prevention. The company’s
technologies and products are currently licensed by distribution partners and
used today in hospitals, doctors’ offices, and clinics around the world. For
more information on AcryMed, visit their website at www.acrymed.com or call (503)
624-9830.
# # #
Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb260703.htm