Study published in the American Journal of Infection Control demonstrates Acticoat® dressings’ anti-fungal effectiveness

EXETER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, U.S.A. - In the August 1999 issue of the peer-reviewed American Journal of Infection Control, an in vitro study comparing Westaim Biomedical’s Acticoat® dressings to conventional antimicrobial products found the Acticoat® dressings provided the fastest and broadest-spectrum fungicidal action.

Burn wound patients with fungal infections have a mortality rate of more than 90 per cent. The risk of contracting a fungal infection has increased through the 1980s from 2 infections per 1,000 discharged patients to 3.8 today. One reason for this increase may be the opportunity created through successful bacterial management: now that sophisticated anti-bacterial therapies can prevent bacteria from growing, the fungi, (which are not normally controlled by the same therapies that control bacteria), are able to grow uninhibited.

The in vitro study compared Acticoat® dressings to three conventional antimicrobial burn wound treatments: silver nitrate, mafenide acetate and silver sulfadiazine. Acticoat® dressings had the fastest kill rate, and were effective against more fungal species.

Acticoat® dressings create an optimal environment for wound healing by keeping the wound moist and free from microbes such as bacteria and fungi. They also require fewer dressing changes than conventional burn treatments, and therefore reduce the number of times the wound is exposed to airborne pathogens such as fungi.

“By killing fungi, Acticoat® dressings help medical personnel protect burn patients from the greatest threat to their recovery,” said Rob Burrell, Vice President of Technology at Westaim Biomedical.

Layered with nanocrystalline silver, the Acticoat® dressings ensure a sustained release of silver, which has long been recognized for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. As silver ions are consumed, additional silver is released to produce a long-lasting, effective antimicrobial barrier against approximately 150 organisms.

Currently used in more than 70 burn centers across North America, Acticoat® dressings have been used on more than 1,500 patients in the past year. As well as burns, the dressing can be used on graft and donor sites, chronic wounds (including pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, etc.) and surgical wounds.

The Westaim Corporation specializes in launching high-potential technologies into the marketplace. In addition to Westaim Biomedical, its other technology businesses include: Surface Engineered Products Corp., which has developed surface engineering technologies and materials for severe applications in the petrochemical industry, and Westaim Advanced Display Technologies Inc., which is developing a revolutionary low-cost flat panel display. Westaim also operates three industrial businesses that produce aerospace materials, coin blanks and chemical products. A TSE 300 company, Westaim’s common shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange, The Alberta Stock Exchange and The Montreal Exchange under the trading symbol WED.

For more information, please contact:

Tony Johnston
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs
(403) 234-3103
tjohnsto@westaim.com
www.westaim.com

For copies of the study, please contact:

Catherine Shepard
Media Profile
(416) 504-8464