• Rick Wiechula.
• The Joanna Briggs Institute, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. rick.wiechula@adelaide.edu.au
• Int J Nurs Pract. 2003 Apr 1; 9 (2): S9-17.

AbstractThe aim of this systematic review was to determine the best available evidence related to the post-harvest management of split-thickness skin graft (STSG) donor sites. Studies included in the review were those involving patients of any age examining interventions relating to the post-harvest management of STSG donors and were intra-individual or randomized controlled trials. All studies were checked for methodological quality, and data were extracted using a data extraction tool. Many studies were combined in meta-analysis. The present report concerns studies examining moist and non-moist wound-healing dressings. Broad comparisons of moist wound-healing dressings against traditional non-moist dressings favoured moist wound-healing approaches in terms of healing rates, pain and infection. In comparing dressings within and between moist wound-healing dressing groups, the lack of studies of sufficient quality prevented determining a 'best dressing' for STSG donors. Moist wound-healing products have distinct clinical advantages over non-moist products in the management of STSG donors. There is a strong case for further head-to-head studies comparing products within the moist wound-healing group.

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