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OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the available literature on the efficacy of tibial nerve stimulation on faecal incontinence and quality of life in adult patients with low anterior resection syndrome following surgery for colorectal cancer. METHODS: A primary search of electronic databases was conducted adopting a combination of search terms related to the following areas of interest: "efficacy", "tibial nerve stimulation" and "low anterior resection syndrome". A secondary search of the grey literature was performed in addition to checking the reference list of included studies and review papers. The review was reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. A descriptive analysis was used to integrate the review findings. RESULTS: Five distinct studies involving 116 patients met the inclusion criteria for the review. The included studies suggest that tibial nerve stimulation may have a positive effect on faecal incontinence and quality of life in some patients with low anterior resection syndrome and might be considered as an additional treatment option. CONCLUSION: There were a limited number of studies and a great degree of heterogeneity of evidence due to differences in participants' baseline characteristics, dropout rates, and follow-up periods. Further research adopting validated, consistent, and complex outcome assessment methods is recommended to determine the efficacy of tibial nerve stimulation for treatment of patients with low anterior resection syndrome.

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Diabetic foot ulcer infection is a crucial complication associated with lower-limb amputation and postoperative mortality in individuals with diabetes mellitus. Deciding if a diabetic foot ulcer is infected in a community setting is challenging without validated point-of-care tests. Early detection of infected diabetic foot ulcers can reduce the frequency of hospitalizations, the occurrence of disability, and chances of mortality. Inflammatory biomarkers are predictors of infected diabetic foot ulcers and lower-limb amputation. Procalcitonin, CRP, pentraxin-3, interleukin-6, and calprotectin may help distinguish uninfected from mildly infected diabetic foot ulcers and diagnose soft tissue infections, bone lesions, and sepsis in diabetic patients. Moreover, these biomarkers may be predictors of lower-limb amputation and postoperative mortality. The current management of infected diabetic foot ulcers is disappointing and unsatisfactory, both in preventing its development and halting and modifying its progression. The use of new (molecular) techniques for the identification of the IDFU has not yet to be proven superior to classic cultural techniques for the management of such patients. For clinicians, if the risk stratification of DFU can be obtained earlier in diabetic patients, the hospitalization, disability, and mortality rate will be reduced. For the practical application of these biomarkers, it is important to correlate these quantitative parameters with clinical symptoms. Based on clinical observations and inflammatory biomarker evaluation, it can be used to guide clinical treatment methods. This review details clinical information published during the past several decades and discusses inflammatory biomarkers that may determine the risk and level of infection of diabetic foot ulcers.

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OBJECTIVES: To systematically review the available literature on the efficacy of erythropoietin for wound healing in human patients. DESIGN: The review was reported following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. A descriptive-analytical method was used to analyse and integrate review findings. DATA SOURCES: A primary search of electronic databases was performed using a combination of search terms related to the following areas of interest: 'efficacy', 'erythropoietin' and 'wound healing'. A secondary search of the grey literature was conducted in addition to checking the reference list of included studies and review papers. RESULTS: Seven distinct studies involving 150 patients met the inclusion criteria for the review. The included studies suggest that topical and subcutaneous application of erythropoietin improves the wound healing process via faster re-epithelialization and reducing wound area and depth. CONCLUSIONS: There were a limited number of studies and a great degree of heterogeneity of evidence due to differences in the course of concomitant illness, wound aetiology, and the time and dosing regimens adopted. Further research adopting validated and consistent outcome measures is recommended to determine the efficacy and safety of erythropoietin for wound healing.