Results
3.1. Description of the included studies
The search strategies in PubMed (PM) and Web of Science
(WOS) resulted in a total of 55 unique publications (Fig. 1).
In three of the included publications a clarification
regarding the selection of design is indicated.
The publication of Moolenaar et al. is actually a letter to the
editor, but in this review it was selected as an RCT because it
describes a fully randomized controlled study performed by
the authors. The reporting was limited, but of sufficient value
to include [33].
The publication of Dany-Mazeau and Pautard is a CCT
under construction and had at the time of its publication
only one third of the necessary number of patients
recruited [7]. This interim publication discussed three
cases. Therefore it was considered a case report in this
review. The two articles are both the same, except for the
language – one is written in French and the other in
German. For that reason they were considered to be one
publication.
Another remark is that the two publications from Gethin
and Cowman [34,35] refer to the same study. In the first
publication the primary outcomes are discussed, and in the
other one the secondary outcomes. In this review, they are
therefore included as two separate studies.
The 55 included publications enrolled various wound
etiologies as burns, ulcers, and other types of wounds, such
as mixed wounds, traumatic wounds and postoperative
wounds (Table 3). Due to the heterogeneity of the studies, a
meta-analysis could not be carried out