Oxidized Regenerated Cellulose/Collagen Dressings: Review of Evidence and Recommendations.
Stephanie Wu, Andrew J Applewhite, Jeffrey Niezgoda and 12 others
PMID 29049055WHAT IT FOUND
Some studies reported faster or more complete healing with collagen dressings containing oxidized regenerated cellulose, including silver versions, but the evidence was limited and often expert opinion.
Use them as part of wound care, not as proof they work.
Key findings
01The reviewed evidence was limited: after exclusions, 58 articles remained, and 32 were level 5 (expert opinion, case report, or clinical example).
02Across 12 randomized trials and 1 observational study since 2002, ORC/collagen dressings were reported to reduce wound size, increase healed wounds, or shorten healing time in some studies, while other studies found comparable improvements to controls.
03In case reports and treatment pathways, ORC/collagen dressings were often used alone or in combination with other advanced wound therapies after wounds failed standard-of-care treatment, so the dressing's separate effect cannot be isolated.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Most included articles were level 5 expert opinion, case report, or clinical example, so the evidence base is weak. The panel received a booklet of studies selected by the product sponsor, so the evidence presented to the panel may not be balanced. The recommendations came from panel experience and an open consensus, so they are expert recommendations, not tested interventions. Many positive results came from case reports, retrospective studies, or treatment pathways that used several wound therapies together, so the effect of ORC/collagen alone cannot be separated. The literature search excluded abstracts and posters, which may limit the studies reviewed.
Declared interests
The meeting sponsor was ACELITY, the company associated with the dressings, and it selected the booklet of studies given to panel members.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that these dressings alone heal chronic wounds. In the presented cases, the dressings were used with debridement, antibiotics, an additional antimicrobial dressing, compression, hyperbaric oxygen, or negative-pressure therapy, so the separate effect of the dressing cannot be isolated.