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    • Has all of the relevant evidence been taken into account?

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    • Are the summaries of clinical and and cost effectiveness reasonable interpretations of the evidence?

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    • Have we considered all of the evidence for Prontosan in acute wounds?
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Prontosan for acute and chronic wounds

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1 Recommendations

1.1 Prontosan shows promise for chronic wounds. However, there is not enough high quality evidence to support the case for routine adoption. The case for adopting Prontosan for acute wounds is not supported because the evidence is very limited.

1.2 A randomised controlled trial is recommended on the effectiveness of Prontosan wound irrigation solution compared with saline or water in chronic wounds of different types. Wounds should be followed up until completely healed, and time to healing should be measured. Find out more details in further research.

Why the committee made these recommendations

Care of acute or chronic wounds aims to improve their condition, help with healing and minimise risk of complications. Usually wounds are cleansed with saline or water.

Prontosan is available in 3 different formats: a solution, a gel, and extra thick gel. The solution is used for rinsing and soaking wounds. It can be used alone or with one of the gels. After soaking, the gel is applied to the wound and is left in place until the next dressing change. It aims to prevent build-up of microbes such as bacteria in the wound to help with healing.

Most of the evidence about Prontosan's effectiveness is not of good quality. It may speed up wound healing and reduce infections compared with saline in chronic wounds, but more evidence is needed to confirm this. There is very little evidence about using Prontosan in acute wounds.

Cost analyses suggest that Prontosan is cost saving compared with saline in chronic wounds. But there is not enough good quality evidence about its clinical effectiveness. So, more research is recommended to address the uncertainties.