Medical uses of silver

Medical uses of silver
Silver is added to some bandages for its antimicrobial effect, but evidence of its usefulness is mixed.[1]
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The medical uses of silver include its use in wound dressings, creams, and as an antibiotic coating on medical devices.^[2][3][4] Wound dressings containing silver sulfadiazine or silver nanomaterials may be used to treat external infections.^[5][6][7] The limited evidence available shows that silver coatings on endotracheal breathing tubes may reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia.^[8] There is tentative evidence that using silver-alloy indwelling catheters for short-term catheterizing will reduce the risk of catheter-acquired urinary tract infections.^[9][10][11]

Silver generally has low toxicity, and minimal risk is expected when silver is used in approved medical applications.^[12] Alternative medicine products such as colloidal silver are controversial.^{[13][14][15][16][17]}