The efficacy and safety of oxandrolone treatment for patients with severe burns: A systematic review and meta-analysis

A ’metabolic bundle‘ including Oxandrolone in optimising the metabolic status of severely burn injured patients: a retrospective analysis of the first 50 patients

“…Thus, therapeutic termination remained unnecessary in the absence of critical increases of hepatic enzymes. This corresponds to the lack of hepatic dysfunction found in a burns injured group treated with oxandrolone by McCullough et al [15] and Li’s metanalysis more recently [10]. Transitional changes in hepatic levels may therefore be considered as an indication of the injury severity and of possible complications as a consequence.…”

“…The efficacy and safety of oxandrolone is now well established in the literature [10] and specifically strongly recommended as an essential component of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) 2013 guidelines on nutritional therapy in burns [11]. Oxandrolone has been shown to improve lean muscle mass and net protein balance during the catabolic phase after severe burns and accelerates wound healing shortening lengths of hospital admission [5], [12], [13].…”

The influence of sex steroid hormones on the response to trauma and burn injury

“…A recent meta-analysis of 15 randomized controlled trials reported that oxandrolone use was associated with shorter inhospital length of stay by 3 days, reduced donor site healing time by 4.4 days, and reduced time between surgical procedures by 0.7 days, as well as reduced weight loss by 5 kg and nitrogen loss by 8.19 g/day. Moreover, oxandrolone use in the rehabilitation phase was associated with reduced weight loss by 0.86 kg/week and lean body mass by 5% as well as gaining 3.99% and 10.78% lean body mass following severe thermal injury by 6 and 12 months respectively [ 153 ]. Interestingly, oxandrolone and propranolol (β-blocker used in burns for its anti-catabolic effects) attenuated burn-induced growth arrest in paediatric patients following thermal injury by shortening its duration by 84 days and increased growth rate by 1.7 cm per year [ 154 ].…”

Mapping the Steroid Response to Major Trauma from Injury to Recovery: A Prospective Cohort Study

“…The use of androgens to ameliorate catabolism has some precedent, as evidenced by the use of the synthetic androgen, oxandrolone, that has some proven benefit in treating burn injuries (9). A meta-analysis of 15 randomised controlled trials of 806 burn patients by Li et al, showed significant benefits (P < 0.05) for using oxandrolone, including less net weight loss, lean body mass loss, nitrogen loss, donor-site healing time, and length of stay in the catabolic and rehabilitative phases (59). The use of oxandrolone in major trauma was investigated in 2 intensive care studies but no benefit was demonstrated (60,61).…”