a 2018 cochrane review found that silver-containing dressings may increase the probability of healing for venous leg ulcers. a 2017 meta-analysis of clinical studies over the period of 2000-2015 concluded that "the evidence base for silver in wound management is significantly better than perceived in the current scientific debate" and that, if applied selectively and for short periods of time, silver has antimicrobial effects, produces an improvement in quality of life and shows good cost-effectiveness. a 2014 data set from a recent meta-analysis concluded that the use of silver dressings improves healing time, and can lead to overall cost savings compared with treatment with non-silver dressings. it also found that patients who had been treated with silver dressings had a faster wound closure compared with patients who had been treated with non-silver dressings. a 2013 meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials found "statistical significant evidence" to support the use of biatain silver dressings in treating venous leg ulcers.