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. 2017 Jul 12;2017(7):CD011821. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011821.pub2

Piatkowski 2011.

Methods Country where data collected: Netherlands
Parallel‐group RCT
Unit of randomisation: burns
Unit of analysis: burns
Duration: NR
Participants Inclusion criteria: second‐degree burns up to 10% TBSA
Exclusion criteria: Aged > 18 years; dermatological diseases and/or pre‐existent poly‐neuropathy
Participants: 60 outpatients with 72 burns
Mean age (years): 46.5 ± 15.6 vs 34 ± 14.2
Male participants: 19 vs 20
Burn type: scald 19 vs 19; contact 8 vs 2; flame 5 vs 7
Burn degree: all second‐degree
Burn size (%TBSA): NR (cm² 151.2 ± 109.6 vs 134.7 ± 99)
Burn location: hands 2 vs 6; arms 11 vs 13; thorax 2 vs 2; abdomen 4 vs 2; thighs 18 vs 8; feet 1 vs 3
Interventions Intervention arm 1: SSD cream (Flammazine) changed daily. N = 30
Intervention arm 2: polyhexanide‐containing bio‐cellulose dressing (Suprasorb X+PHMB) changed every 2nd or 3rd day. N = 30
Cointerventions:
Outcomes Primary outcome: wound healing
Secondary outcome: pain
Secondary outcome: costs
Notes Funding NR
This was a "split‐body" or "intra‐individual" design where a person with two wounds had one wound randomised to each treatment. It was not clear whether the analysis took account of this.
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Quote: "Suitable patients were assigned to one of the treatment groups, using computer generated randomization."
Comment: computer‐generated randomisation
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk Quote: "A prospective, randomized, controlled single center study was designed to evaluate clinical efficacy of a polyhexanide containing bio‐cellulose dressing (group B) compared to a silver‐sulfadiazine cream (group A) in sixty partial‐thickness burn patients."
Comment: no information on whether the allocations to treatment were adequately concealed
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk Quote: "Wound healing was documented using standardized digital photographs, which were assessed by two experienced wound specialists, that were blinded for the treatment."
Comment: blinded outcome assessment documented although pain assessment probably not blinded
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk Comment: no specific quote but all participants accounted for
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Unclear risk Comment: no specific quote but although all planned outcomes were reported in some cases the data were only presented graphically
Other bias Unclear risk Comment: there is potential for unit of analysis issues as they analyse 72 wounds on 60 participants and 2 of the participants had more than one treatment. The data were not useful to our analysis. No other sources of bias were identified and methods were well reported