We wanted to advise you of recent development in the testing of wound dressings. A new standard has been published for the testing of dressings claiming antimicrobial activity. The new standard is EN 17854:2024  Antimicrobial wound dressings —Requirements and test method. 

The aim of the standard is to provide a standardised methodology for testing antimicrobial dressings against 3 reference strains. It provides performance requirements for two types of antimicrobial dressing – microbicidal (dressings which produce a minimum of 3 log reductions in the number of viable cells from the original microbiological challenge), and microbistatic (dressings which prevent further growth of the microbiological challenge).  The method is suitable for most types of dressings, the dressing needs to be able to absorb a small volume of fluid.

The SMTL has been closely involved in the development of the standard and will be offering testing in accordance with the standard.