Effect of Nursing Intervention on Promoting Healing of RW in Patients with Diabetic Foot: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically assess the effect of nursing intervention on promoting the healing of refractory wounds (RW) in patients with diabetic foot (DF).

METHODS

A computer search of PubMed, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, CochraneLibrary, China knowledge Network Database (CNKI), China VIP Database, Wanfang Database, and China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) online database was conducted in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of traditional Chinese and western medicine nursing intervention on patients with RW of DF. Retrieval time was limited to the period from the date the database was established to present. Separately, two researchers gathered the data. RevMan5.3 statistical software was used to analyze the collected data by meta-analysis according to Cochrane Handbook 5.3.

RESULTS

Finally, 8 articles were included with a total sample size of 772 cases. The meta-analysis of the wound healing time after intervention indicated that the wound healing time of the study group was notably shorter, and the difference was statistically significant ( < 0.05). Qualitative, fixed-effect model analysis indicated that the nursing effective rate after treatment in the study group was notably higher, and the difference was statistically significant ( < 0.05). Fasting blood glucose level in the study group after treatment was notably lower, and the difference was statistically significant ( < 0.05). The life quality in the study group was notably higher, and the difference was statistically significant ( < 0.05). Further subgroup analysis indicated that the score of physical function (PF), emotional function (RE), social function (SF), physical pain (BP), general health (GH), vitality (VT), and mental health (MH) in the study group were higher, and the difference was statistically significant ( < 0.05). A publication bias analysis was conducted using the inverted funnel chart as the outcome indicator for this study. The results indicated that most of the funnel maps were symmetrical and a few were asymmetrical, suggesting that there exhibited a certain publication bias in the included literature.

CONCLUSION

The application of traditional Chinese and western medicine nursing intervention when treating DF patients clinically can effectively promote the healing of foot ulcer wounds. Traditional Chinese and western medicine nursing can help patients heal wounds faster and enhance their life quality compared to simplistic western medicine nursing. According to the original literature, the conclusion deserves to be popularized in clinic.