Assessing the safety and compatibility of silver based wound dressings in a magnetic resonance environment

IntroductionSilver dressings are an integral part of the management of burn patients. Package inserts assert a lack of compatibility and safety with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and recommend removal prior to any MRI procedure, although there is no clear evidence to support this recommendation. Dressing removal is associated with increased pain, anxiety, stress, and analgesia use. This study was to determine whether these products produce MRI image distortion or if the agitation of the silver particles generates enough heat which might produce further skin damage.MethodsHind limbs from euthanized pigs were used in a 7 T MRI scanner with three standard silver wound dressings. Images were obtained with both dry and wet dressings. Temperature was assessed before and during MRI by probes inserted between the dressing and skin. Images were independently reviewed by a radiologist and MR physicist for distortion.ResultsNone of the dressings exhibited significant temperature increases nor produced significant distortion that influenced imaging quality.ConclusionOur data suggests silver containing wound dressings do not cause a significant increase in dressing temperature or image distortion and thus their removal is not warranted for clinical MRI examinations.