In spite of being widely spread throughout Brazil, the use of essential fatty acids (EFA) for wound healing is controversial. This study aimed at identifying and analyzing the available scientific evidence for EFA to be used in the treatment of wounds. This is a descriptive study, carried out through a systematic literature review, concerning the Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde (Health Online Library) and PubMed data bank, from 1970 to 2006. Initially, we identified 503 references. After the relevance tests I and II, 11 articles were included in the analysis, showing evidence of recommendation- level II and III for EFA to be used in burns, mediastinitis, among others situations. Most studies still refer to its use in animal. Relevant publications are still scarce.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.