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The role of interferential current electrical stimulation in pediatric urology: A systematic review of randomized
Barmadisatrio1, Illona Okvita Wiyogo1, Yudhistira Pradnyan Kloping2
1Department of Surgery Dr. Soetomo General-Academic Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia.
Insights
Interferential current (IFC) electrical stimulation shows promise for treating pediatric lower urinary tract dysfunction, with 61-90% of patients showing positive responses. Further research is needed to confirm its superiority and establish clear clinical protocols.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Urology
- Neuromodulation
- Evidence-Based Medicine
Background:
- Lower urinary tract dysfunctions are common in children.
- Interferential current (IFC) electrical stimulation is an emerging treatment modality.
- Previous study findings on IFC for pediatric urological issues have varied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on IFC for pediatric lower urinary tract dysfunction.
- To evaluate the current evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of IFC in pediatric urology.
- To synthesize findings from high-quality RCTs to inform clinical practice.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search across Embase, Medline, and SCOPUS databases.
- Inclusion of eligible RCTs evaluating IFC for pediatric lower urinary tract problems.
- Quality assessment of included studies using the Cochrane risk of bias (RoB) tool 2.
Main Results:
- Four eligible RCTs with low risk of bias were identified.
- Patients received 10-18 IFC treatment sessions.
- 61-90% of patients demonstrated positive responses, with IFC showing better immediate and short-term improvements compared to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.
Conclusions:
- IFC is a potentially effective therapy for pediatric bladder dysfunction and enuresis.
- Further comparative RCTs are necessary to establish IFC's superiority over alternative treatments.
- Additional research on safety and standardized clinical protocols for children is required.
Background:
In recent years, interferential current (IFC) electrical stimulation has been studied as a novel treatment for various lower urinary tract dysfunctions in children. As the findings of multiple studies may vary, we aimed to evaluate the current view on IFC in pediatric urology problems based on the findings of randomized clinical trials (RCTs).
Methods:
We performed a systematic search in the Embase, Medline, and SCOPUS databases in accordance with the latest Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Eligible studies comprised studies evaluating IFC for lower urinary tract problems in children. The studies' quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias (RoB) tool 2.
Results:
A total of 125 articles were initially obtained, among which 40 articles were duplicates. There were six eligible RCTs with an overall low RoB. All subjects underwent 10-18 sessions of treatment. The outcomes measured consisted of the alleviation of symptoms and urodynamic parameters. The trials reported that 61-90% of patients responded positively to the treatment. Both IFC and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation generated improvements in the subjects. However, overall the IFC group showed better immediate and short-term improvement.
Conclusion:
IFC is a promising therapy for bladder dysfunction and enuresis in children. More comparative RCTs are required in the future to quantitatively determine the superiority of IFC to other alternatives. The safety aspects of the treatment should also be studied further before it can be used in a clinical setting as the standard and protocol for children are still unclear.
