Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been suggested as a promising treatment option for open wounds. In view of the absence of randomised studies with sufficiently large sample sizes, we assessed the efficacy of LLLT in the treatment of @entity5 . We performed a prospective, observer-blinded multicentre randomised clinical trial to assess the effect of LLLT as adjuvant to standard decubitus care. A total of 86 @entity1 were enrolled into the study. Treatment was the prevailing consensus decubitus treatment (n=47); one group (n=39) had LLLT in addition, five times a week over a period of 6 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the absolute (mm2) and relative (%) wound size reduction at 6 weeks compared to baseline. Secondary outcome measures were the number of @entity1 developing a stage IV @entity1066 during the study period, and the median change in Norton scores at 6 weeks compared to baseline. Based on the intention-to-treat principle, using last-observation-carried-forward analyses, Mann-Whitney U tests showed that the differences between the two groups in terms of absolute improvement (p=0.23) and relative improvement (p=0.42) were not significant. Because the wound size areas were non-normally distributed, we also analysed the data after logarithmic transformation of the wound size measurements. No significant difference in log(e) improvement scores between groups could be demonstrated (unpaired t-test: p=0.59). During the treatment period 11% of the @entity1 in the control group and 8% of the @entity1 in the LLLT group developed a @entity6227 (Fisher's exact test: p=0.72). The @entity1 ' Norton scores did not change during the treatment period. In this trial we found no evidence that justifies using low-level laser therapy as an adjuvant to the consensus decubitus @entity1066 treatment.

Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the management of XXXX : a prospective, observer-blinded multicentre randomised clinical trial.

@entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['stage III decubitus ulcers'] @entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity1066 :: ('MESH:D014456', 'Disease') :: ['ulcer'] @entity6227 :: ('MESH:D003668', 'Disease') :: ['stage IV decubitus ulcer']
@entity5 :: (MESH:D009369,Disease) :: ['stage III decubitus ulcers']
