Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41023744›Full record

SynthesisWorld journal of emergency surgery : WJES2025

Oxandrolone for burn patients: a systematic review and updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials from 2005 to 2025.

Jiaqi Lou, Ziyi Xiang, Xiaoyu Zhu, Jingyao Song, Neng Huang, Jiliang Li, Guoying Jin, Youfen Fan, Shengyong Cui

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in World journal of emergency surgery : WJES, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

15 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Jiaqi Lou *Burn Department, Ningbo No. 2 Hospital, No. 41 Northwest Street, Haishu District, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang Province, China.
Ziyi Xiang *Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
Xiaoyu Zhu *Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
Jingyao SongSchool of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Whenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
Neng HuangBurn Department, Ningbo No. 2 Hospital, No. 41 Northwest Street, Haishu District, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang Province, China.
Jiliang LiBurn Department, Ningbo No. 2 Hospital, No. 41 Northwest Street, Haishu District, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang Province, China.
Guoying JinBurn Department, Ningbo No. 2 Hospital, No. 41 Northwest Street, Haishu District, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang Province, China.
Youfen FanBurn Department, Ningbo No. 2 Hospital, No. 41 Northwest Street, Haishu District, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang Province, China. 13906683613@163.com.
Shengyong CuiBurn Department, Ningbo No. 2 Hospital, No. 41 Northwest Street, Haishu District, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang Province, China. csy00544@163.com.

Funding

HwaMei Reasearch Foundation of the Ningbo No.2 Hospital Grant No.2022HMKY48 and No.2023HMZD07Medical Scientific Reasearch Foundation of Zhejiang Province Grant No. 2021KY1004, No. 2023RC081, No. 2025KY1395 and No.2022KY1134the Ningbo Health Youth Technical Backbone Talent Development Program 2024RC-QN-02the Ningbo Top Medical and Health Research Program No.2023030615the Project of NINGBO Leading Medical & Health Discipline 2022-F17the Zhejiang Clinovation Pride CXTD202502004the Zhu Xiu Shan Talent Project of Ningbo No.2 Hospital 2023HMYQ25
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSevere burn injuries induce hypermetabolism, leading to protein catabolism, impaired wound healing, and increased infection risk. Burn patients often experience androgen depletion, exacerbating these issues. Oxandrolone, a synthetic anabolic steroid, has shown promise in counteracting these metabolic disturbances. This updated meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy and safety of oxandrolone in burn patients, incorporating recent studies, pediatric populations, long-term outcomes, and combination therapies.

methodsThis PRISMA 2020-compliant systematic review searched 9 databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, WOS, WHO-ICTRP, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, CBMdisc) for RCTs published between 2005 and 2025 using validated strategies combining controlled vocabulary (MeSH/Emtree) and free-text terms for burn/trauma AND androgen analogs (e.g., oxandrolone, nandrolone). Included trials compared androgen analogs vs. controls (placebo/standard care) in burn patients, reporting ≥ 1 predefined outcome: (1) Lean body mass (recovery phase, ≥ 14 days post-burn); (2) Mild side effects (hepatic dysfunction [ALT/AST ≥ 2 × ULN] or edema); (3) Infections; (4) Mortality; (5) Surgical procedures; (6) LOS/TBSA; (7) Absolute LOS. Dual-independent screening, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment (Cochrane RoB 2.0 per outcome) were performed. Random-effects meta-analyses generated standardized mean differences (SMD) for continuous outcomes and risk ratios (RR) for dichotomous outcomes with 95% CIs.

resultsFourteen RCTs (2005-2025; n = 2822 patients: 1203 intervention vs. 1619 controls) demonstrated significant reductions in surgical procedures (SMD = - 1.25; 95% CI - 2.45 to - 0.04; p = 0.04; I

conclusionOxandrolone demonstrates clinical utility in burn management by significantly reducing surgical burden (SMD = - 1.25; p = 0.04), shortening hospitalization (LOS/TBSA SMD = - 1.07; p = 0.007), and enhancing anabolic recovery (weight gain SMD = 0.58; lean mass SMD = 1.30; both p < 0.001). However, extreme heterogeneity (I

Indexed as

Anabolic AgentsBurnsOxandroloneHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAnabolic AgentsOxandroloneAnabolic recoveryAndrogen analogBurn patientsHepatotoxicityMeta-analysisMortalityOxandroloneRandomized controlled trials

Identifiers

PMID41023744
PMCPMC12481747

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.