Effect of a sustained silver-releasing dressing on ulcers with delayed healing: the CONTOP study

Abstract

To compare the effect of the sustained silver-releasing foam dressing Contreet Foam (ColoplastA/S) with local best practice (LBP) on delayed healing ulcers using a real-life setting. A total of 619 patients with ulcers of varying aetiologies were treated for four weeks with either the silver foam dressing or LBP. Wound area was reduced by 50% with the silver foam and 34% with LBP Less slough and maceration, a faster reduction in exudate level and more positive wound progress was achieved with the silver foam. In addition, exudate handling, ease of use, odour and pain improved. Less time was spent on dressing changes, and mean wear time was longer for the silver foam (3.1 days) than for LBP (2.1 days). All differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The silver foam dressing outperformed all of the other dressing categories including moist wound healing products and other silver dressings. This large-scale comparative real-life study shows that the silver foam dressing supports faster healing of delayed healing wounds.