How PHMB works
What bacteria does the PHMB in our AMD Dressings fight?
Our AMD antimicrobial dressings contain PHMB (polyhexamethylene biguanide), a bacteria-killing polymer. PHMB attacks bacteria on and within the dressing fabric, helping keep infection out of the wound and limiting cross-contamination. Here’s how PHMB works:
- PHMB binds to bacteria’s phospholipid (outer) membrane
- Disrupts membrane, causing cytoplasm to leak out
- Cell’s protective layer disintegrates
- Cell collapses and dies
Effective against:
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE)
- Acinetobacter baumannii
- Staphylococcus epidermidis
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Escherichia coli
- Candida albicans
- Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus
- Proteus mirabilis
- Serratia marcescens
- Enterobacter cloacae
- Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Enterococcus faecalis
- Propionibacterium acnes
Minimally invasive
Fact: To reduce SSI rates, clinicians are turning to laparoscopic surgeries instead of open techniques. Antimicrobial dressings can help reduce infection risk as the surgical wound heals.
Commonly used products*: Small incision with minimal drainage, typically dressed with traditional gauze and tape, adhesive bandages, or transparent dressings
Recommended products:
| Telfa? AMD Antimicrobial Dressings Convenient, all-in-one dressing with soft, non-woven backing conforms around wound and seals all four sides. Ideal for lightly draining wounds |
| Kendall? AMD Antimicrobial Foam Border Dressings Manage moisture and bacterial balance while helping to prevent friction and shear injuries with a smooth, low friction topsheet. |
| Kendall? Transparent Film Dressing or Kerlix Antimicrobial Super Sponges Kerlix sponges feature fluff-dried gauze with a crinkle-weave pattern for lots of bulk to cushion and protect wounds. Kendall Transparent Dressings offer an effective delivery system allowing one-handed application. They are waterproof, highly permeable to oxygen and moisture vapor, and provide an outstanding barrier to bacteria and fluid containments. |
CABG
Fact:?Deep chest infections carry a greater risk for mortality than superficial infections, and are associated with longer hospitalizations and higher excess costs. Patients who develop deep chest surgical site infections following CABG require more costly care and experience worse clinical outcomes than patients who do not develop such infections.1
Commonly used products*: Dressed with traditional sterile gauze dressings or non-adherent dressings (non-antimicrobial) and tape.
Recommended products:
| Telfa? AMD Antimicrobial Dressings: Convenient, all-in-one dressing with soft, non-woven backing conforms around wound and seals all four sides. Ideal for lightly draining wounds |
| Kendall? AMD Antimicrobial Foam Border Dressings Manage moisture and bacterial balance while helping to prevent friction and shear injuries with a smooth, low friction topsheet. |
| Kendall? Transparent Film Dressing and Kerlix? or Kerlix Antimicrobial Super Sponges Kerlix sponges feature fluff-dried gauze with a crinkle-weave pattern for lots of bulk to cushion and protect wounds. Kendall Transparent Dressings offer an effective delivery system allowing one-handed application. They are waterproof, highly permeable to oxygen and moisture vapor, and provide an outstanding barrier to bacteria and fluid containments. |
OB/GYN
Fact: According to the World Health Organization, women who have caesarean sections when giving birth are five times more likely to develop a postpartum infection than women who have vaginal deliveries.2 The incidence of SSIs with C-sections ranges from 1.50% to 2.64%.3
Commonly used products*: Dressed with traditional gauze, ABD pads and tape, transparent dressings, or traditional island dressings.
Recommended products:
| Telfa? AMD Antimicrobial Dressings: Convenient, all-in-one dressing with soft, non-woven backing conforms around wound and seals all four sides. Ideal for lightly draining wounds |
| Kendall? AMD Antimicrobial Foam Border Dressings Manage moisture and bacterial balance while helping to prevent friction and shear injuries with a smooth, low friction topsheet. |
| Kendall? Transparent Film Dressing and Kerlix? or Kerlix Antimicrobial Super Sponges Kerlix sponges feature fluff-dried gauze with a crinkle-weave pattern for lots of bulk to cushion and protect wounds. Kendall Transparent Dressings offer an effective delivery system allowing one-handed application. They are waterproof, highly permeable to oxygen and moisture vapor, and provide an outstanding barrier to bacteria and fluid containments. |
Orthopedic
Fact:?Orthopedic SSIs can prolong total hospital stays by a median of two weeks per patient, can approximately double rehospitalization rates, and can increase healthcare costs by 300%. Moreover, patients with orthopedic SSIs have substantially greater physical limitations and significant reductions in their health-related quality of life.4
Commonly used products*:?Dressed with traditional gauze or nonadherent dressings (non-antimicrobial) with tape or gauze rolls.
Recommended products:
| Telfa? AMD Antimicrobial Dressings Convenient, all-in-one dressing with soft, non-woven backing conforms around wound and seals all four sides. Ideal for lightly draining wounds |
| Kendall? AMD Antimicrobial Foam Border Dressings Manage moisture and bacterial balance while helping to prevent friction and shear injuries with a smooth, low friction topsheet. |
| Kendall? Transparent Film Dressing and Kerlix? or Kerlix Antimicrobial Super Sponges Kerlix sponges feature fluff-dried gauze with a crinkle-weave pattern for lots of bulk to cushion and protect wounds. Kendall Transparent Dressings offer an effective delivery system allowing one-handed application. They are waterproof, highly permeable to oxygen and moisture vapor, and provide an outstanding barrier to bacteria and fluid containments. |
| Kerlix? AMD Antimicrobial Bandage Rolls As a primary dressing, the open-weave design provides fast wicking action, superior aeration and excellent absorbency. As a secondary dressing, it provides bulk, cushioning and superior conformability. Ideal for bandaging limbs and difficult-to-dress orthopedic wounds. |
Footnotes and references
1 Hollenbeak, Christopher S. et al. (2000). The Clinical and Economic Impact of Deep Chest Surgical Site Infections Following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery CHEST, Volume 118, Issue 2, 397 – 402
2 World Health Organization. (2015). WHO Recommendations for Prevention and Treatment of Maternal Peripartum Infections. ISBN 978 92 4 154936 . NLM classification: WQ 256. Accessed 7/1/2019
3 Edwards, Jonathan R. et al. (2008). National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Report, data summary for 2006 through 2007, issued November 2008 American Journal of Infection Control, Volume 36, Issue 9, 609 – 626.
4 Whitehouse, J., Friedman, N., Kirkland, K., Richardson, W., & Sexton, D. (2002). The Impact of Surgical-Site Infections Following Orthopedic Surgery at a Community Hospital and a University Hospital Adverse Quality of Life, Excess Length of Stay, and Extra Cost. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 23(4), 183-189. doi:10.1086/502033