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Hydrogel dressings for treating pressure ulcers
Jo C Dumville1, Nikki Stubbs, Samantha J Keogh
1School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK. jo.dumville@manchester.ac.uk.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|April 28, 2015
Summary
Hydrogel dressings show no clear benefit over other treatments for healing pressure ulcers. More research is needed due to small study sizes and unclear risk of bias in current evidence.
Area of Science:
- Wound healing research
- Dermatology
- Evidence-based medicine
Background:
- Pressure ulcers, also known as bedsores, are localized skin injuries.
- Various dressings, including hydrogel dressings, are used for treatment.
- Current evidence on hydrogel dressing efficacy for pressure ulcers requires an updated overview.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effects of hydrogel dressings on pressure ulcer healing.
- To compare hydrogel dressings with alternative treatments or no dressing.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
- Searched multiple databases (Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL) up to June 2014.
- Included RCTs comparing hydrogel dressings to other dressings or no dressing for stage II+ pressure ulcers.
Main Results:
- Eleven studies (523 participants) were included.
- No significant difference in wound healing or adverse events between hydrogel and alternative treatments.
- Limited data, no meta-analyses; studies were small, short-term, and at unclear risk of bias.
Conclusions:
- The effectiveness of hydrogel dressings for pressure ulcer healing remains unclear.
- Further high-quality, well-reported trials are necessary.
- Differences between various hydrogel products are also not established.
