A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis of continuous vacuum sealing drainage for diabetic foot ulcer

Background : Although continuous vacuum sealing drainage (CVSD) is often reported for the management of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), its effectiveness has been evaluated primarily via clinical outcomes with limited attention. This study will aim to assess the effectiveness of CVSD for the treatment of patients with DFU. Methods: We will carry out a search in Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from their inceptions to the March 1, 2020. We will exert the searches in those electronic databases without restrictions of language, and the use of validated filters to obtain eligible studies. In addition to the search in electronic databases, we will retrieve studies from conference proceedings, and reference lists of included trials. We will use Cochrane risk of bias tool to assess study quality for each eligible study. All statistical analysis will be conducted using RevMan 5.3 software. Results: This study will systematically summarize the most present evidence to assess the effectiveness and safety of CVSD for the management of DFU. Conclusion: The results from this study will contribute to obtain a genuine understanding of perspective from evidence-based medicine and a scientific basis for the effectiveness and safety of CVSD for the treatment of DFU. PROSPERO registration number: PROSPERO CRD42020170723.