Table 2. Characteristics of studies included in the review.
USA: United States of America, TBS: total body surface, HGH: human growth hormone, Ox: oxandrolone, mg/kg/day: milligram per kilogram per day, mg/day: milligram per day, mg: milligram, SCI: spinal cord injury, PU: pressure ulcer, bid: two times a day, N/A: not applicable, HC: hydrocortisone, vs.: versus, p: p-value, y: years.
| Authors, Year | Country | Study Design | Study Population Characteristics | Sample Size | Drug Regimen | Time-to-treatment | Length of Treatment | Follow-up Time | Efficacy (Oxandrolone vs. Control) | |
| Treatment | Placebo | |||||||||
| Demling, 1999 [14] | USA | Randomized prospective | Burned ≥ 50% TBS or ≥ 25% TBS with major comorbidities | 20 HGH | 24 | HGH 0.1mg/kg/day | 7-10 days post-burn | Until healed and transferred to a rehabilitation center | 12 weeks | Faster healing time: 4 days less with Ox (p< 0.05) |
| 16 Ox | Ox 20mg/day | |||||||||
| Demling and Orgill, 2000 [19] | USA | Randomized double-blinded | Burned 40-70% TBS | 11 | 9 | Ox 20mg/day | 2-4 days post-burn | 24 - 42 days | N/A | Faster healing time: 4 days less with Ox (p< 0.05) |
| Demling and DeSanti, 2003 [20] | USA | Randomized prospective | ˃ 65 years burned 10-29% TBS | 26 | 24 | Ox 10mg bid | N/A | Until discharge or transfer to a rehabilitation center | N/A | ↓ time to heal standard donor site (30% less with Ox) (p< 0.05) |
| Bauman et al., 2013 [21] | USA | Parallel group, randomized | SCI with stage 3 or 4 pressure ulcer | 108 | 104 | Ox 10mg bid | After 26-30 days (observation period) | Until PU healed or 24 weeks | 8 weeks | No significant difference between groups (p< 0.40) |
| Demling and DeSanti, 2002 [22] | USA | Randomized prospective | Burned ≤ 55% TBS | 15 (group 18-45y) | 14 (group 18-45y) | Ox 10mg bid | Recovery phase post-injury (resolution of the "stress response" to injury) | 4 weeks or restoration of pre-injury function and weight | N/A | Faster healing time: 4-5 days less with Ox (p< 0.05) |
| 11 (group ≥ 60y) | 11 (group ≥ 60y) | |||||||||
| Demling and DeSanti, 2001 [23] | USA | Randomized prospective | Burned with 24-42% TBS | 12 burned | 15 burned | Burns: Ox 20mg/day + HC 100 to 200mg/day | 2 days post-burn unit admission | 3-4 weeks | N/A | Faster healing time: 7-8 days less with Ox (p< 0.05) |
| Patients with skin slough 27-57% TBS | 10 skin slough patients | 10 skin slough patients | Skin slough: Ox 20mg/day + HC 115 to 265mg/day | |||||||