Mafenide acetate concentrations and bacteriostasis in experimental burn wounds treated with a three-layered laminated mafenide-saline dressing.

A laminated wound dressing was developed to deliver mafenide acetate to granulating wounds. This study, using mafenide acetate cream (11.2%) and isotope dilution of 14C-labeled mafenide, has established the peak concentration and decay time for mafenide in the saline layer over the wound. Pseudomonas inhibition under identical concentrations was studied. Peak concentrations of 1,200 mg per deciliter of saline were observed after 2 hours. These levels decayed to 400 mg after 10 hours. Remoistening the dressing was required to achieve the peak and duration just mentioned. Pseudomonas inhibition of 88% of discs was present at 1,200, 800, and 700 mg concentrations. This dropped to 44% at 550 mg and 0 at 400 mg. The effective anti-Pseudomonas period was, therefore, 6 hours.