Document Detail


History of the medical use of silver.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19566416     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
BACKGROUND: Silver has been used extensively throughout recorded history for a variety of medical purposes. METHODS: A review of the literature in English was undertaken, primarily using PUBMED, to identify the medical uses of silver before the clinical introduction of antibiotics in the 1940s. RESULTS: Silver has been used for at least six millennia to prevent microbial infections. It has been effective against almost all organisms tested and has been used to treat numerous infections and noninfectious conditions, sometimes with striking success. Silver also has played an important role in the development of radiology and in improving wound healing. CONCLUSION: Silver was the most important antimicrobial agent available before the introduction of antibiotics.
Authors:
J Wesley Alexander
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Historical Article; Journal Article; Review    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Surgical infections     Volume:  10     ISSN:  1557-8674     ISO Abbreviation:  Surg Infect (Larchmt)     Publication Date:  2009 Jun 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-07-01     Completed Date:  2009-08-27     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9815642     Medline TA:  Surg Infect (Larchmt)     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  289-92     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0558, USA. jwesley.alexander@uc.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Anti-Infective Agents / history*,  therapeutic use*
History, 15th Century
History, 16th Century
History, 17th Century
History, 18th Century
History, 19th Century
History, 20th Century
History, Ancient
History, Medieval
Humans
Silver / history*,  therapeutic use*
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Anti-Infective Agents; 7440-22-4/Silver

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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