Dialkylcarbamoyl chloride (DACC)-coated dressings in the management and prevention of wound infection: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE

Dialkylcarbomoyl chloride (DACC)-coated dressings (Leukomed Sorbact and Cutimed Sorbact) irreversibly bind bacteria at the wound surface that are then removed when the dressing is changed. They are a recent addition to the wound care professional's armamentarium and have been used in a variety of acute and chronic wounds. This systematic review aims to assess the evidence supporting the use of DACC-coated dressings in the clinical environment.

METHOD

We included all reports of the clinical use of DACC-coated dressings in relation to wound infection. Medline, Embase, CENTRAL and CINAHL databases were searched to September 2016 for studies evaluating the role of DACC-coated dressings in preventing or managing wound infections.

RESULTS

We identified 17 studies with a total of 3408 patients which were included in this review. The DACC-coating was suggested to reduce postoperative surgical site infection rates and result in chronic wounds that subjectively looked cleaner and had less bacterial load on microbiological assessments.

CONCLUSION

Existing evidence for DACC-coated dressings in managing chronic wounds or as a surgical site infection (SSI) prophylaxis is limited but encouraging with evidence in support of DACC-coated dressings preventing and treating infection without adverse effects.