Background: The primary treatment for colorectal cancer, which is very prevalent, is surgery. Anastomotic leaking poses a significant risk following surgery. Intestinal perfusion can be objectively and instantly assessed with indocyanine green fluorescence imaging, which may lower leakage rates and enhance surgical results. Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched using relevant keywords from inception until 5th of March 2025. Eight studies were included after final screening. Outcomes were reported as overall anastomotic leakage, wound infection, paralytic ileus, mechanical ileus, and post-operative hospital stay. Interstudy heterogeneity was assessed using I ² and X ² statistics (I ² > 50% = significant heterogeneity). Statistical calculations were performed using Review Manager 5.4.1 (The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark), with a p-value of < 0.05 indicating statistical significance. Results: This meta-analysis includes 4047 patients from eight investigations (2026 indocyanine green (ICG) group, 2021 non-ICG group). Overall anastomotic leak risk was considerably decreased with ICG use (risk ratio (RR) = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.54–0.81; p < 0.0001) and showed no heterogeneity (I ² = 0%). There was no heterogeneity (I ² = 0%) in the Grade A leakage occurrence, which was considerably lower in the ICG group (RR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.16–0.72; p = 0.005). With little heterogeneity (I ² = 8.6%), combined leakage grades also supported ICG use (RR = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.35–0.84; p = 0.006). ICG was associated with a substantial decrease in Clavien–Dindo Grade I complications (RR = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.49–0.92; p = 0.01) without heterogeneity (I ² = 0%). Initial postoperative hospital stays, mechanical ileus, paralytic ileus, and abdominal bleeding did not differ significantly. Although there was no heterogeneity (I ² = 0%), sensitivity analysis showed that the ICG group had a substantially longer postoperative stay (MD = 0.27; 95% CI 0.05–0.49; p = 0.02) and significantly fewer wound infections (RR = 0.17; 95% CI 0.04–0.76; p = 0.02). With noteworthy heterogeneity (I ² = 70%), the ICG group’s operating time was significantly longer (MD = 8.26 min; 95% CI 0.52–16.00; p = 0.04). Conclusion: Although indocyanine green fluorescence imaging may marginally lengthen the recovery period and duration of operation, it dramatically lowers anastomotic leakage and wound infections following colorectal surgery, enhancing results.

Background: Self-medication, the use of medications without professional consultation, is prevalent among medical students and poses risks such as drug misuse and delayed diagnosis. This study examined the roles of stress, self-efficacy, and health literacy in self-medication behaviours among undergraduate medical students in Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2025 at Nowshehra Medical College, involving 241 students (158 females and 83 males) selected through a convenience sampling method. A self-modified structured questionnaire was used to assess health literacy (nine items), self-efficacy (six items), stress (ten items), and self-medication behaviour. Data were analyzed using SPSS v30.0, employing t-tests to compare sex differences and binary logistic regression to identify predictors of the outcome. Ethical approval was obtained (Ref. 30/ERB/NMC). Results: No sex differences were found in health literacy ( p = 0.630) or self-efficacy ( p = 0.156), but females reported higher stress ( p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = -0.59). Logistic regression models indicated that health literacy factors were not significant predictors ( p > 0.05). However, significant predictors included reliance on past experiences (OR = 1.823, p = 0.003) and health-related stress (OR = 1.607, p = 0.007), while safe self-medication practices were protective (OR = 0.679, p = 0.027). The overall model explained 18.5% of the variance (Nagelkerke R² = 0.185) but had low classification accuracy (47.9–49.2%). Visualisations, including bar charts, ROC curves, box plots, and heatmaps, highlighted the stress disparities and predictor strengths. Conclusion: Unsupervised medication use and stress drive self-medication among medical students. Targeted interventions should promote safe practices, address gender-specific stressors, and enhance health literacy to mitigate risks.

Background: One of the primary causes of morbidity and death is still acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Although mechanical thrombectomy (MT) yields better results, problems such as partial functional recovery persist. By lessening secondary damage and encouraging recovery, the neuroprotective drug, cerebrolysin, may improve the effectiveness of MT. Its safety and efficacy as an adjunct to MT are assessed in this study. Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched using relevant keywords from inception until June 2025. A total of three studies were included after final screening. Outcomes were reported as symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, adverse effects, mortality, etc. Interstudy heterogeneity was assessed using I ² and χ ² statistics ( I ² > 50% = significant heterogeneity). Statistical calculations were performed using Review Manager 5.4.1 (The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark), with a p ‐value of < 0.05 indicating statistical significance. Results: By combining data from three studies, this meta‐analysis assessed the safety and effectiveness of cerebrolysin as a supplement to mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in acute stroke. This meta‐analysis pooled data from three observational studies involving a total of 294 patients; 148 were treated with Cerebrolysin in combination with mechanical thrombectomy (Cerebrolysin + MT group), and 146 were treated with mechanical thrombectomy alone (MT group).With a very slight heterogeneity ( I ² = 2%), Cerebrolysin significantly increased the primary outcome, Good Functional Outcome (mRS 0–3). Among 71 patients in the Cerebrolysin + MT group and 163 in the MT‐alone group, a good functional outcome was achieved in 61 versus 110 patients, respectively (RR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.25–1.93, p < 0.0001). There were sustained protective tendencies and a significant decrease in the incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) (RR: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.03–0.48, p = 0.03). sICH occurred in 4 of 148 patients in the Cerebrolysin group versus 9 of 148 in the control group. Benefits persisted at 1 and 12 months, with mortality being 64% lower in the Cerebrolysin group (RR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.18–0.68, p = 0.02). Mortality was reported in 13 of 246 patients in the Cerebrolysin group versus 41 of 255 in the control group. Across outcomes, there was little heterogeneity. These results indicate cerebrolysin's potential as an adjuvant treatment for stroke management by indicating that it dramatically improves functional recovery, lowers sICH, and decreases mortality post‐MT. Conclusion: Cerebrolysin shows promise as a useful neuroprotective treatment in stroke care by dramatically improving functional recovery, reducing symptomatic intracranial bleeding, and lowering mortality in acute ischemic stroke patients when used in conjunction with mechanical thrombectomy. Nonetheless, these conclusions are derived from only three observational studies with small sample sizes, which limits the robustness and generalizability of the findings. Further large‐scale randomized trials are warranted to confirm these effects.