Enhanced healing of burn wounds by dressings with alginate: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the effectiveness of alginate dressings for burn treatment. Relevant articles were sourced from databases such as PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Database, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, Wanfang database, and China Biology Medicine disc. The primary outcome measure was defined as healing time. Secondary outcome measures included the growth time of fresh granulation tissue, pain scores, frequency of dressing changes, complications, length of hospital stay, and scar scale scores. Data were aggregated and reported as relative risk (RR) and mean difference (MD), with a 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of 42 studies, involving 2,536 individuals, were examined. The aggregated data indicated significant reductions in healing time (MD =−4.58; 95% CI: −5.55 to −3.61; P < 0.001, I² = 97%), growth time of granulation tissue (MD = −5.84; 95% CI: −6.22 to −5.52; P < 0.001, I² = 57%), pain scores (MD = −3.73; 95% CI: −5.81 to −1.64; P < 0.001, I² = 100%), frequency of dressing changes (MD = −2.17; 95% CI: −2.80 to −1.53; P < 0.001, I² = 97%), complications (RR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.43–0.70; P < 0.001, I² = 62%), and length of hospital stay (MD = −8.46; 95% CI: −8.83 to −8.08; P < 0.001, I² = 92%). No significant change was observed in scar scale scores (MD = −0.68; 95% CI: −2.24–0.88; P = 0.39, I² = 89%). The findings of this meta-analysis indicate that alginate dressings effectively promote faster healing and reduce the growth time of granulation tissue in burn patients. Their use is also associated with decreased pain scores, fewer dressing changes, fewer complications, and a shorter hospital stay. These results support the clinical application of alginate dressings as a beneficial intervention in burn treatment. Alginate dressings have been used in burn treatment due to their ability to create a moist healing environment and manage exudate effectively. Despite widespread clinical use, existing studies on their efficacy present mixed results and inconsistencies, partly due to varying study designs and patient populations. Our most recent systematic review and meta-analysis strive to investigate the effectiveness of alginate dressings within the realm of burns. Methods:We sourced relevant articles from databases including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Database, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructureris, the VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, Wanfang database and China Biology Medicine disc. We defined the primary outcome measure as the healing time, while growth time of fresh granulation tissue, pain scores, times of dressing changes, complications, length of hospital stay and scar scale scores were considered as secondary outcome measures. Pooling of data was conducted and the results were articulated as relative risk (RR) and mean difference (MD), all with a 95 % confidence interval (CI). In this systematic review and meta-analysis, a total of 42 studies involving 2536 individuals were examined. The amalgamated data from these studies exhibited that the treatment group experienced significant reductions in healing time (MD = −4.58; 95 % CI: −5.55 - −3.61; p < 0.001, I2 = 97 %), growth time of fresh granulation tissue (MD = −5.84; 95 % CI: −6.22 - −5.52; p < 0.001, I2 = 57 %), pain scores (MD = −3.73; 95 % CI: −5.81 - −1.64; p < 0.001, I2 = 100 %), times of dressing changes (MD = −2.17; 95 % CI: −2.80 - −1.53; p < 0.001, I2 = 97 %), complications (RR = 0.55; 95 % CI: 0.43–0.70; p < 0.001, I2 = 62 %), as well as in length of hospital stay (MD = −8.46; 95 % CI: −8.83 - −8.08; p < 0.001, I2 = 92 %). Additionally, these individuals showed no change in scar scale scores (MD = −0.68; 95 % CI: −2.24–0.88; p = 0.39, I2 = 89 %). The results of this meta-analysis suggest that alginate dressings are effective in promoting faster healing and reducing the growth time of fresh granulation tissue in burn patients. Additionally, their use is associated with decreased pain scores, fewer dressing changes, fewer complications, and reduced length of hospital stay. These findings support the clinical utility of alginate dressings as a beneficial intervention in burn treatment. • Our systematic review and meta-analysis reveal that alginate dressings significantly enhance healing times for burn patients compared to traditional dressings. • The study highlights a substantial reduction in pain scores and complications associated with the use of alginate dressings. • Findings indicate fewer dressing changes and a reduced hospital stay when using alginate dressings, emphasizing both economic and clinical advantages. Alginate dressings not only lower healthcare costs by reducing hospital resource usage but also enhance patient experience by necessitating fewer interventions, supporting their clinical utility in burn treatment.