Platelet-rich Plasma for the Management of Burn Wound: A Meta-Analysis.
He Yi, Ruijue Li, Cuixian Li
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In 30 seconds
This meta-analysis of nine randomized controlled trials evaluated platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for burn wound management in 413 participants. Compared with control, PRP was associated with shorter wound healing time (mean difference [MD]: -6.68 days, 95% CI (-10.96, -2.39)), fewer wound infections and dressing changes, and a greater healed-area percentage. The review found no significant between-group difference in pain score or graft take percentage. The authors conclude that PRP may improve burn wound healing, while noting that further studies are needed to support broader clinical use.
Key findings
- PRP reduced wound healing time (MD: -6.68 days, 95% CI (-10.96, -2.39)).
- Wound infection incidence was lower with PRP (OR: 0.18, 95% CI (0.04, 0.88)).
- PRP was associated with fewer dressing changes (MD: -14.50 times, 95% CI (-16.45, -12.55)) and a greater healed area percentage (MD: 6.82%, 95% CI (2.58, 11.06)).
- No significant difference was found between groups in pain score or graft take percentage.
Why it matters
Burn wound healing involves clinically important outcomes, including time to healing, infection, and dressing burden. Across the included trials, PRP was associated with improvements in several of these outcomes, while pain and graft take did not differ significantly. These findings provide a synthesis of trial evidence but do not by themselves establish how broadly PRP should be used.
What to keep in mind
The review included nine RCTs with 413 participants; the abstract does not report follow-up duration or further details on trial quality or variation between studies.