Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Verifying the evidence of therapeutic efficacy in the topical application of metronidazole for controlling wound odor.
METHODS
A systematic literature review, according to the Cochrane Collaboration recommendations.
RESULTS
329 articles were identified in the Cochrane, LILACS, SciELO, CINAHL and PubMed databases, with 14 of them being included in the final sample. Two of the studies were double-blind randomized clinical trial studies.
CONCLUSION
The actual effectiveness of metronidazole in controlling wound odor cannot yet be evidenced due to the absence of strong evidence from studies on the subject, despite clinical practice recommending its benefits.
Descriptors
Wounds and Injuries; Deodorization; Metronidazole; Wound Infection; Review