De la Brassinne 2006.

Study characteristics
Methods	Design: open; RCT Country: Belgium Setting: hospital Sample size calculation: not reported Ethical approval: was granted after the medical ethics committee approved the project (Ethics Committee of the Medicine Faculty of Liege University, Belgium). Informed consent: was obtained after fully advising the participants about the purpose and consequences of the study.
Participants	Total sample: 20 hospitalised participants with chronic leg ulcers of venous origin Inclusion criteria: men and women, mobile, aged 40–70 years and chronic leg ulcers of venous origin with exudate Exclusion criteria: none specified Numbers randomised Group 1 (hydrogel dressing): 10 participants Group 2 (alginate dressing): 10 participants Gender: 13 women and 7 men Mean age: 61 years (range 45–70 years) ABPI: not reported Unit of randomisation: participant Unit of analysis: participant Ulcer infection: not reported Ulcer duration (current): 2.25 years (range 0.5–10 years) in both groups Baseline ulcer surface Group 1 (hydrogel dressing): 20.9 (SD 7.5) cm² Group 2 (alginate dressing): 20.3 (SD 7.6) cm² (P = 0.826) Baseline volume measurement Group 1 (hydrogel dressing): 128.4 (SD 55.2) mm³ Group 2 (alginate dressing): 124.7 (SD 49.9) mm³ Data collected: ulcer dimension by planimetry and volume of the ulcer at day 7, 14 and 28
Interventions	Group 1: hydrogel dressing (IntraSite Gel) Group 2: alginate dressing (Flaminal gel) *Both groups had the wound debrided and cleaning with saline before the dressing was applied. Description of compression therapy: not reported Length of treatment: 4 weeks Follow‐up: 4 weeks Comments: * The surface measurement of the ulcer was made using acetate tracing (Opsite Flexigrid from Smith & Nephew Healthcare). * The volume measurement of the ulcer was made using high algin impression material (Jeltrate mould from Dentsply Caulk International)
Outcomes	Complete wound healing: not reported Incidence of wound infection: not reported Change in ulcer size: reported, planimetry used to measure the wound at baseline, 7, 14 and 28 days of treatment and volume measured on same days Mean percentage surface reduction at day 14 (P < 0.01) Group 1 (hydrogel dressing): –3.2% (SD 13.3%) Group 2 (alginate dressing): –27.3% (SD 20.6%) Mean percentage surface reduction at day 28 (P ≤ 0.01) Group 1 (hydrogel dressing): –19.4% (SD 24.3%) Group 2 (alginate dressing): –61.2% (SD 26.2%) Time to ulcer healing: not reported Recurrence of ulcer: not reported Health‐related quality of life: not reported Pain: not reported Costs: not reported
Notes	Number of participants withdrawing and reasons: no withdrawals Funding: UCB‐Belgium
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Quote: "The study was performed in two‐armed parallel groups, open and randomised". Comment: no further description of method of randomisation provided.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Comment: no mention of allocation concealment.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Comment: open study.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	High risk	Comment: open study.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Comment: the study started with 20 participants and the authors did not report dropouts. All the participants were included in final analysis.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	Comment: all trial outcomes described in the methods section of the report were included in the results section. Unable to obtain RCT protocol (no response to email sent to trial author).
Other bias	Low risk	Comment: there was no report regarding the balance between men and women allocated on each group; however, the baseline ulcer surface area and volume did not differ between groups.