Heat-sensitive moxibustion for anaphylactic rhinitis: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

BACKGROUND

Anaphylactic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common allergic disorders globally. Heat-sensitive moxibustion (HSM) is an effective method for AR without the occurrence of drug damage. This study aims to systematically investigate the effectiveness and safety of HSM for patients with AR.

METHODS

Seven relevant electronic databases from inception until January 2020 including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Wanfang Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and Chinese Scientific Journal Database will be searched. All relevant randomized clinical trials published in English and Chinese about HSM for AR regardless of blinding or publication types can be included. The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and other potential articles in the reference list of included studies will also be searched. We recommend total nasal symptom score as primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes includes rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire, IgE, visual analogue scale, laboratory examination, and side effects. Study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment will be performed independently by 2 reviewers. Assessment of risk of bias and data synthesis will be conducted by RevMan 5.3 software.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required for no personal data involved. The results of this SR will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta Analysis Protocols guidelines.

RESULTS

The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

CONCLUSION

The findings will provide further evidence for the management of AR.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019140723.