There is currently no standard for assessing the antimicrobial properties of wound dressings. 

The European Committee for Standardization (CEN - www.cencenelec.eu) established a working group (CEN/TC205/WG15/PG2) in 2010 to draft a standard, and since its inception SMTL have been heavily involved in the development of candidate test methods.

Considerable inter-laboratory testing has been performed in the development of the method which has resulted in a draft standard prEN 17854 Antimicrobial wound dressings — Requirements and test method which has been published for comment.

Dr Pamela Ashman and Elizabeth Davies from SMTL attended the November 2022 meeting held in Sweden to discuss the comments received for the draft standard, and are pictured along with other members of the working group on the Swedish Institute Standards roof on a mild Stockholm winter afternoon. 

There is a further meeting scheduled for February 2023 to discuss any further comments on the changes made in the meeting, with an intention to publish the standard later in 2023.