Outcomes | Effect size (95% CI) | Participants (n) | Risk of bias | Inconsistency | Indirectness | Imprecision | Publication bias | Quality assessment |
Healing time | SMD −0.95, (−1.62 to −0.28) | 2814 (9 RCTs) | Not serious | Serious (I2=92% > 60%) | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | Moderate* |
Healing rate | RR 1.29 (0.90 to 1.85) | 3001 (10 RCTs) | Not serious | Serious (I2=91% > 60%) | Not serious | Serious (CI overlaps with no effect) | Not serious | Low† |
Exudate amount | N/A | 188 (3 RCTs) | Serious (2/3: selection bias) | None | Not serious | Serious (fewer than 400 participants) | None | Low† |
Pain | N/A | 378 (7 RCTs) | Serious (4/7: selection bias; 6/7: performance bias) | None | Not serious | Serious (fewer than 400 participants) | None | Low† |
Anti-infective efficacy | N/A | 2904 (11 RCTs) | Serious (5/11: performance bias) | None | Not serious | Serious‡ | None | Low† |
The outcomes of interest are healing time, healing rate, exudate amount, pain and anti-infective efficacy.
*Moderate certainty: the true effect is likely to be close to the estimate of the effect, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different.
†Low certainty: the true effect may be substantially different from the estimate of the effect.
‡On analysis of 11 studies by 2 investigators, and consultation with a third, the notable inconsistencies in the anti-infective efficacy results suggest serious Imprecision in the research area.
RCT, randomised controlled trial; SDM, standardised mean difference.