A range of silver-coated or -impregnated dressings are now commercially available for use but comparative data on their antimicrobial efficacies are limited. The antibacterial activities of five commercially available silver-coated/impregnated dressings were compared against nine common burn-wound pathogens, namely methicillin-sensitive and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Proteus vulgaris, Acinetobacter baumannii and a multi-drug-efflux-positive Acinetobacter baumannii (BM4454), using a broth culture method. The rapidity and extent of killing of these pathogens under in vitro conditions were evaluated. All five silver-impregnated dressings investigated exerted bactericidal activity, particularly against Gram-negative bacteria, including Enterobacter species, Proteus species and E. coli. The spectrum and rapidity of action, however, ranged widely for different dressings. Acticoat and Contreet had a broad spectrum of bactericidal activities against both Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. Contreet was characterized by a very rapid bactericidal action and achieved a reduction of > or =10,000 c.f.u. ml(-1) in the first 30 min for Enterobacter cloacae, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumanii. Other dressings demonstrated a narrower range of bactericidal activities. Understanding the characteristics of these dressings may enable them to be targeted more appropriately according to the specific requirements for use of a particular dressing, as in for prophylaxis in skin grafting or for an infected wound with MRSA.