Efeito do uso tópico de óleos essenciais na cicatrização de feridas: revisão sistemática

Abstract

The need for solutions that enable wound healing has driven the study of new alternatives. Therefore, essential oils can be a promising artifact in relation to the treatment of wounds, since the treatment of infections and inflammation are still important issues. The aim of this study was to investigate the evidence available in the literature on the effect of topical use of essential oils on wound healing in humans. The protocol for this review is registered in the PROSPERO database under code CRD42021269456. This is a systematic review whose search for articles was carried out in databases, in addition to the gray literature, manual search and consultation with researchers. No limits were established regarding the year of publication or language of the articles. Two reviewers independently participated in the selection and critical evaluation of the studies. The analysis of the quality of evidence was performed using instruments proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute and the risk of bias assessment for randomized studies was performed using the RoB-2.0 tool. To assess studies without randomization, the ROBINS-I tool was used. Thirteen studies were included in this review, eight randomized clinical trials and five non-randomized clinical trials. The most prevalent type of wound treated was episiotomy, and lavender essential oil was the most used in the intervention group of the included studies. Data from this review were presented through descriptive analysis and narrative synthesis. Performing the meta-analysis was not possible considering the heterogeneity of the studies. The included studies demonstrate that there is interest in the topical use of essential oils in the treatment of wounds, especially regarding lavender and tea tree essential oil, as a low-cost and accessible alternative for patients and health professionals. However, due to the clinical and methodological heterogeneity of the included studies, routine clinical use still depends on studies with better design and methodological rigor. Evidence was insufficient and inconsistent to determine the effectiveness of topical use of essential oils for wound healing. More research should be encouraged in order to evaluate the benefits of its indication compared to conventional therapies standardized by health institutions and services.