Did you know silver was used in hospitals for wound and burn recovery long before pharmaceutical antibiotics and it’s still used in modern medical dressings today?

Silver infused sheets and dressings were used in hospitals for wound and burn recovery until the invention of pharmaceutical anti-biotics in the 1940’s. 

Silver is a natural antimicrobial. It releases bioactive ions (\(Ag^{+}\)) that irreversibly damage bacterial cell membranes and enzymes.

In the 1880s, doctors placed a dilute solution of silver nitrate into the eyes of newborns to prevent neonatal conjunctivitis caused by gonorrhoea, which was a leading cause of blindness.

Medics and surgeons applied silver leaf, silver salts, and silver-soaked bandages to battlefield injuries and severe burns to reduce infections and accelerate tissue repair.

In the 1840s, surgeons began using fine silver wire for stitching because they caused significantly less inflammation and localized infection than other organic materials.

In the early 1900s, hospitals used liquid colloidal silver internally and externally to treat mucous membrane infections, chronic wounds, and intravenous sepsis. They also used it to disinfect hospital equipment.

Even today, silver sulfadiazine cream and nanocrystalline silver bandages are widely applied to severe burns, ulcers, and infected, open wounds to reduce bacteria and promote healing.

Medical devices like endotracheal breathing tubes, urinary catheters, and central venous catheters are often coated with silver to prevent bacterial colonization and reduce hospital-acquired infections (such as ventilator-associated pneumonia).

 
Silver is still incorporated into orthopaedic hardware, bone scaffolds, and cardiac devices to minimize the risk of post-operative bacterial adhesion.