Skip to main content

Table 5 Summary of results

From: Negative pressure wound therapy in patients with wounds healing by secondary intention: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Outcome

Results

Grading of results

Mortality

OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.70, p = 0.290

⇔

Wound closure

 

⇑a

 Wound healing (yes/no)

OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.13, p = 0.008

⇑

 Time to wound healing (in days)

Studies with low risk of bias:

Hedges’ g − 1.33, 95% CI − 1.90 to − 0.77

Studies with low and high risk of bias:

Hedges’ g − 0.77, 95% CI − 1.19 to − 0.35, p = 0.005

⇑⇑

 Time to wound healing after intervention and surgical wound closure

< 6 weeks yes/no:

OR 16.07, 95% CI 3.19 to 80.97, p = 0.018

In days:

Hedges’ g − 1.14, 95% CI − 1.45 to − 0.84, p < 0.001

⇑

 Wound healing and/or surgical wound closure (yes/no)

Heterogeneous effects (OR)

95% PI 0.37 to 4.97

⇔

 Time to wound healing and/or surgical wound closure (in days)

Heterogeneous effects (Hedges’ g)

95% PI − 3.47 to 2.10

⇔

Adverse events

 

⇔b

 Additional measures required for direct wound closure

OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.70 to 2.08, p = 0.476

⇔

 Re-interventions

Yes/no:

OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.86, p = 0.021

Number of re-interventions:

MD 2.80, 95% CI 0.79 to 4.81, p = 0.008

⇑c

 Bleeding

No effect estimate (OR) is given due to 3 out of 6 studies without events and 3 studies with no statistically significant effects.

⇔

 Infection

Heterogeneous effects (OR)

95% PI 0.07 to 5.21

⇔

 Overall rate of SAEs

OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.37, p = 0.860

⇔

 Study discontinuation due to AEs

Heterogeneous effects (OR)

95% PI 0.36 to 13.57

⇔

Amputation

OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.55 to 1.43, p = 0.588

⇔

Pain

 

⇔

 Continuous

Hedges’ g − 0.16, 95% CI − 0.53 to 0.21, p = 0.32

⇔

 Dichotomous

No effect estimate (OR) is given due to the large range of the 95% CI containing the zero effect (OR = 1).

⇔

 Pain on application and removal of dressing

Continuous:

MD − 0.30, 95% CI − 19.75 to 19.15, p = 0.975

Dichotomous:

No statistically significant effects (OR) for all given weeks

⇔

Hospital stay and readmission

⇑a

 Hospital stay (in days)

Study with low risk of bias:

MD − 3.50, 95% CI − 5.58 to − 1.42

Studies with low and high risk of bias:

MD − 4.78, 95% CI − 7.79 to − 1.76, p = 0.005

⇑⇑

 Hospital stay (> 1 month yes/no)

OR 0.07, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.17, p = 0.003

⇑

 Intensive care unit stay (in days)

No effect estimate (MD) is given due to the large range of the 95% CI containing the zero effect (MD = 0).

⇔

 Readmission (yes/no)

OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.44 to 2.31, p = 0.973

⇔

Health-related quality of life

 

⇔

 SF-12 MCS

Hedges’ g 0.01, 95% CI − 0.20 to 0.22, p = 0.937

⇔

 SF-12 PCS

Heterogeneous effects (Hedges’ g)

⇔

Physical function

 

⇔

 Time to resume work or school/restoration of normal activity (in days)

Heterogeneous effects (Hedges’ g)

⇔

 DRI

No statistically significant effects (MD) for all given months

⇔

Dependence on outside help or need for care

No data

⇔

  1. AE adverse event, CI confidence interval, DRI Disability Rating Index, MCS mental health composite scale, MD mean difference, NWPT negative pressure wound therapy, OR odds ratio, p p value, PCS physical composite scale, PI prediction interval, SAE serious adverse event, SF short for
  2. aThe proof was downgraded due to high risk of publication bias
  3. bThe overall rate of SAEs was the primary analysis of adverse events
  4. cThe indication of a greater effect of NWPT measured as re-intervention (yes/no) was not challenged by the hint of a smaller effect of NWPT measured as number of re-interventions
  5. ⇑⇑ Proof of a greater effect/benefit
  6. ⇑ Indication of a greater effect/benefit
  7. ⇗ Hint of a greater effect/benefit
  8. ⇔ No proof (or indication or hint) of a greater or smaller effect/of a greater benefit or harm