ABSTRACT
Deep burn injuries necessitate effective debridement to promote healing and reduce complications. Traditional surgical debridement is the standard of care; however, it can lead to significant tissue loss, excessive bleeding and delayed healing. Bromelain-based enzymatic debridement offers a potential less invasive alternative that aims to selectively remove necrotic tissue while preserving viable ones. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis comprehensively compares bromelain debridement versus standard care in the management of partial and full-thickness burns. Cochrane Library, Embase, and Medline were searched until May 30th, 2024 for studies comparing bromelain debridement versus standard care. R version 4.4.0 was used to pooled risk ratio and mean difference in a random-effects model. We included seven studies, comprising 484 participants, of whom 238 (49%) were treated with enzymatic debridement. Bromelain significantly reduced time to eschar removal (MD - 7.60 days 95% CI [-9.76, -5.44]; I² = 70%) in comparison with standard care. Additionally, bromelain group presented a significant reduction in the risk of surgical excision (RR 0.17; 95% CI [0.06, 0.47]; I² = 79%) and need for autografts (RR 0.40; 95% CI [0.18, 0.93]; I² = 76%) in comparison with standard group. No differences were found in behalf of time to wound closure (MD -7.64; 95% CI [-18.46]-[3.18]; I2 = 86%), nor in Modified Vancouver Scar Scale (MD -0.36; 95% CI [-0.96]-[0.23]; I2 = 0%). Bromelain-based enzymatic debridement may accelerate eschar removal and reduce the need for surgical excision and autografts, without adversely affecting wound closure time or long-term scar quality.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of randomized trials comparing the immediate vs delayed provision of long-acting reversible contraceptives in postpartum subjects, focusing on short-interval pregnancies, utilization rates, and adverse events. DATA SOURCES: Cochrane Central, Embase, PubMed, and ClinicalTrials.gov were systematically searched from inception up to December 19, 2023, without filters or language limitation. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: We selected randomized controlled trials assessing the immediate insertion of long-acting reversible contraceptives in women during postpartum period in comparison with the delayed provision. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS: We calculated relative risks with 95% confidence intervals to analyze the primary outcome of utilization rates and secondary endpoints, including initiation rates, pregnancy, any breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, and serious adverse events. A random-effects model was employed in the R software. Moreover, we assessed the risk of bias of selected randomized controlled trials using version 2 of the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool. RESULTS: We included 24 randomized trials comprising 2507 participants, of whom 1293 (51.6%) were randomized to the immediate insertion. Postpartum women in the immediate group had lower risk of pregnancy (relative risk 0.16; 95% confidence interval 0.04-0.71; P=.02) compared with delayed group, and higher rates of long-acting reversible contraceptives at 6 months of follow-up (relative risk 1.23; 95% confidence interval 1.09-1.37; P<.01). CONCLUSION: Inserting long-acting reversible contraceptives before hospital discharge was associated with a reduction in the risk of pregnancy, and increased rates of its utilization at 6 months of follow-up. This intervention may be an effective contraception strategy for postpartum women.