Antimicrobial stewardship in wound care: key questions to ask yourself to combat resistance
Tuesday, 21 October 2025

This Infection Prevention and Control Week (19–25 October), global wound care innovator and Wounds Australia Platinum Partner Mölnlycke® is encouraging healthcare professionals to use the right treatment to fight infection, first time, every time, in a bid to promote antibacterial stewardship. Here are some key considerations to get healthcare professionals started, brought to you by Mölnlycke.

Why is antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) important?

The inappropriate or excessive use of antimicrobials, such as antibiotics, can lead to the emergence of resistant bacteria, posing serious risks to patients. Individuals with antimicrobial-resistant infections may experience ineffective treatments, recurring infections, prolonged recovery, or even death1. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs are designed to reduce inappropriate antimicrobial use, improve patient outcomes, and minimise the negative effects of antimicrobial overuse – such as resistance, toxicity, and unnecessary costs1,2. 

Do I need to use antibiotics?

Studies show that antibiotics are unnecessarily overused in patients with non-healing wounds2. Increasing evidence suggests that we can – and should – reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics in treating wound infections1. Research shows that antibiotics are frequently prescribed without a clinical diagnosis of infection and without addressing the underlying cause of the wound, often resulting in minimal real benefit2. 

How do topical antimicrobial wound care products and dressings help with AMS?

Antimicrobial stewardship advocates for reducing the overuse of antibiotics due to resistance. Antimicrobial dressings including silver are advocated to manage infected wounds as the theoretical risk of antiseptic resistance is less of a threat3. Cleansing, debridement and applying antimicrobial dressings can reduce the burden of microorganisms in wounds and act as an antimicrobial barrier – without the need to resort to antibiotics3. 

When should I use antimicrobial dressings for wound care?

Wound infections can pose significant health risks. It is essential to conduct regular assessments of your patient's wounds for early signs of infection, which may include: 

Should I continue to use silver dressings to combat wound infection?

Yes. Silver dressings are renowned for their antimicrobial properties. These dressings release silver ions, which are toxic to a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and viruses5. This helps reduce the bioburden in the wound and promotes the right environment for healing. 

Does it matter which silver dressing I use?

Not all silver dressings are the same. They vary in composition, release mechanisms, and effectiveness. Choosing the right silver dressing based on the condition of the wound is crucial for optimal outcomes.

When selecting a silver dressing, consider the following:

  • Formulation and material: silver dressings come in various forms, such as foams, alginates and hydrocolloids. The choice of material can affect the absorbency, conformability and overall performance of the dressing. 
  • The state of the wound: for example, if your patient's wound has high levels of exudate, choose a silver dressing with high absorbency, or if their wound has an irregular wound bed, choose a dressing that conforms to the wound well to prevent a build-up of bacteria-laden exudate5. If your patient has a painful wound that makes dressing changes a challenge, choose a silver dressing that adheres gently to the wound, such as the Mölnlycke silver-containing Ag+ products with Safetac® Technology4.5.
  • Duration of action: some silver dressings are designed for short-term use, while others can provide sustained antimicrobial activity over several days, reducing the need for frequent dressing changes.5 If you plan to change a patient's dressing once a week, choose a dressing that will continue releasing silver for up to seven days5.

Mölnlycke has a range of antimicrobial dressings with Safetac® Technology to meet the demands of a variety of wound types, with more than 19 peer-reviewed journals and 43 conference poster presentations supporting its efficacy, pain and trauma reduction, and cost-effectiveness4.

AMS checklist: how to prevent the rise of antimicrobial resistance and reduce preventable infections

  • Practice good hand hygiene1.
  • Be alert to signs of infection1.
  • Educate your patients and their families about the problem of antimicrobial resistance and how to use antimicrobials appropriately2. 
  • Reserve the use of antimicrobials for wounds that have been clinically identified as infected2. 
  • Consider silver-containing antimicrobial dressings for effective treatment of infected wounds2,5. 
  • Consider non-medicated wound dressings when wounds are not infected2. 
  • Don't use antibiotics as a prophylactic therapy, except for wounds identified at high risk of infection, or in people with chronic conditions that put them at high risk of infection2,5. 
  • Monitor the response of the wound. International consensus statements recommend using antimicrobial dressings for two weeks as a 'challenge' period, after which the efficacy of the dressing can be evaluated2,5. 
  • If there's improvement but there are still signs of infection, continue using the dressing with regular reviews5. 
  • It might take up to four weeks to achieve results2. 
  • If there are no signs of improvement, consider changing to a dressing with a different antimicrobial agent5.

Contact us to find out more about the Mölnlycke antimicrobial range, including the comprehensive range of silver-containing Ag dressings. 

Wounds Australia partners

This article for healthcare professionals was brought to you by our valued Platinum Partner Mölnlycke. Wounds Australia partners with industry leaders like Mölnlycke to help achieve our mission of minimising the harm caused by chronic wounds. Find out more.

References: 

1. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare. Antimicrobial stewardship. Available online: https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/our-work/antimicrobial-stewardship Accessed 27/9/25. 

2. International Wound Infection Institute. Wound Infection in Clinical Practice. Wounds International 2022. 

3. Roberts C, Leaper J. Antiseptic resistance: antimicrobial stewardship and silver dressings. Wounds International. 2017;8(2):27–31. 

4. Mölnlycke. Ready for the Challenge. Antimicrobial dressings range brochure. 2024. 

5. Leaper DJ, Apelqvist J, Edmiston CE, Lipsky BA. International consensus: Appropriate use of silver dressings in wounds. An expert working group consensus. London: Wounds International; 2012. 6. Khansa I, Schoenbrunner AR, Kraft CT, Janis JE. Silver in wound care – friend or foe?: a comprehensive review. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2019;7(8):e2390.