Other types of antimicrobial materials

In developing antimicrobial dressings to manage wonnd infection, it should be noted that since wound dressings are directly in contact with a broken skin, there are strict requirements for the type of applicable antimicrobial materials. In particular, these materials should meet the following requirements. 

Have a sustained antimicrobial effect during the material s useful time. 

Organic antimicrobial compounds commonly used for antimicrobial textiles have limited use in wound management, since in most cases they are not suitable for use on broken skin. In recent years two classes of materials have been increasingly used in the wound-management industry as novel materials for the manufacture of wound dressings with antimicrobial function. These are briefly discnssed below. 

In recent years, silver has been successfiiUy used as an effective antimicrobial agent and silver containing wonnd dressings are now widely nsed throughout the world. In addition to silver, other metal ions have also proven effective in preventing bacterial 

Melaleuca altemifolia oil, also called tea tree oil, has demonstrated promising efficacy in treating wound infections. Tea tree oil is antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, and has demonstrated its ability to activate monocytes. Clinical studies have shown that tea tree oil can be used effectively as adjunctive therapy in treating osteomyelitis and infected chronic wounds. 

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