Efficacy of erythropoietin for wound healing: A systematic review of the literature

OBJECTIVES: To systematically review the available literature on the efficacy of erythropoietin for wound healing in human patients. DESIGN: The review was reported following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. A descriptive-analytical method was used to analyse and integrate review findings. DATA SOURCES: A primary search of electronic databases was performed using a combination of search terms related to the following areas of interest: ‘efficacy’, ‘erythropoietin’ and ‘wound healing’. A secondary search of the grey literature was conducted in addition to checking the reference list of included studies and review papers. RESULTS: Seven distinct studies involving 150 patients met the inclusion criteria for the review. The included studies suggest that topical and subcutaneous application of erythropoietin improves the wound healing process via faster re-epithelialization and reducing wound area and depth. CONCLUSIONS: There were a limited number of studies and a great degree of heterogeneity of evidence due to differences in the course of concomitant illness, wound aetiology, and the time and dosing regimens adopted. Further research adopting validated and consistent outcome measures is recommended to determine the efficacy and safety of erythropoietin for wound healing.