Chinese herbal injections for unstable angina pectoris: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analyses

BACKGROUND: Chinese herbal injections (CHIs) have been commonly used in the treatment of unstable angina pectoris (UAP) in China. However, there is no consensus or evidence on how to select CHIs for patients with UAP. The choice often depends on the personal experience or preference of clinician. This study aims to compare the effect of different CHIs for UAP using Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA). METHODS: A systematic search will be conducted in PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Data from inception to February 2018. We will include randomized controlled trials (RCT) regarding CHIs in the treatment of UAP. Quality of included RCTs will be assessed according to the Cochrane Handbook 5.1.0. A Bayesian NMA will be performed with WinBUGS 14 to compare the efficacy of different CHIs. GRADE will be used to assess the quality of evidence. RESULTS: The results of this NMA will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. CONCLUSION: Our study will generate evidence for CHIs in the treatment of UAP and help clinicians make more accurate therapeutic schedule. In addition, it might provide suggestions for Chinese medicine clinical practice or guideline.