Efficacy of Aloe Vera Gel vs. 1% Silver Sulfadiazine in First- and Second-Degree Burn Wound Healing: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Taking into account the availability of numerous clinical trials on the effects of Aloe vera gel on the prevention and healing of skin wounds, as well as its popularity among people and widespread use in the cosmetic industry, the current study compares the healing efficacy of Aloe vera gel vs. 1% silver sulfadiazine (SSD) in burn patients. We searched PubMed, Medline, Embase, and ClinicalKey database from January 1, 1990, to January 1, 2023 period. Our study included a patient who were having first- and second-degree burns. The intervention group received Aloe vera gel, while the control group received 1% SSD. The outcome variables assessed were tissue healing. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs were included to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of the intervention effects. Studies had to be available in English and published in full text to be eligible for inclusion. Initially, the search strategy’s flow diagram, which reported, screened, excluded, and eventually included studies, was created using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis 2020 principles. Using the population, intervention, control, and outcome format (PubMed-65, Embase-52, and ClinicalKey-131), 248 studies were included, while 220 studies were eliminated. As a result, 18 full-text RCTs were evaluated, and 7 studies that satisfied all of the meta-analysis’s eligibility requirements were eventually qualified. In comparison to the control group, the mean healing (in days) for first- and second-degree burn wounds was significantly lower in the total pooled result from the four RCTs. The mean difference was −2.73 [95% confidence interval (CI) −3.85 to −1.62; P ≤ 0.0001*]. When comparing the area of recovery in percentage for first- and second-degree burn wounds to the control group, the total pooled result from the four RCTs revealed a significant decrease, with odds ratio of 0.20 (95% CI 0.08–0.53; P ≤ 0.001*). Thus, the results of this meta-analysis demonstrate that Aloe vera gel is far more beneficial for first- and second-degree burn wound healing and patient recovery than 1% SSD.

Keywords

• aloe vera gel; efficacy; first-degree burn; second-degree burn; silver sulfadiazine; wound healing