Electromagnetic therapy for the treatment of venous leg ulcers.
BACKGROUND
Electromagnetic therapy is used with the aim of improving the healing of chronic wounds such as pressure sores and venous leg ulcers


OBJECTIVE
To assess the effectiveness of electromagnetic therapy in the treatment of venous leg ulcers


METHODS
The Cochrane Wounds group search strategy was used (see Scope) to search for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of electromagnetic therapy for the treatment of venous leg ulcers


METHODS
Randomised controlled trials comparing electromagnetic therapy with sham electromagnetic therapy or other (standard) treatment


METHODS
Results of searches were scrutinised by one reviewer (and checked by a second) to identify possible RCTs and full reports of these were obtained. Details of eligible studies were extracted and summarised using a data extraction sheet. Attempts were made to obtain missing data by contacting authors. Data extraction was checked by a second reviewer.


RESULTS
A total of three eligible RCTs were identified. Two trials compared the use of electromagnetic therapy to sham (Ieran 1990; Kenkre 1996) and one trial (Stiller 1992) compared it with standard topical treatments. One of the trials found a difference in healing rates of borderline statistical significance between electromagnetic therapy and sham, although the direction of treatment effect was consistently in favour of electromagnetic therapy the difference was not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
There is currently no reliable evidence of benefit of electromagnetic therapy in the healing of venous leg ulcers.
Flemming
K
K
Centre for Evidence Based Nursing, University of York, Genesis 6, York Science Park, York, UK, YO10 5DQ. kaf1@york.ac.uk
Cullum
N
N
D055590:Electromagnetic Phenomena; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014647:Varicose Ulcer / Q000532:radiotherapy*