Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation over acupoints for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: There is a limited evidence concerning the efficacy of transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation over acupoints (Acu-TENS) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Thus, this review aims to systematically determine the effect of Acu-TENS on COPD. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chongqing VIP, and Wanfang Data will be searched from their inception to May 10, 2018. Randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effect of Acu-TENS on patients with COPD will be included. The primary outcome measures will include 6-minute walk distance and dyspnea visual analog scale scores. The secondary outcome measures will include lung function and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment will be independently undertaken, respectively. Statistical analysis will be conducted by RevMan software (version 5.3). RESULTS: This systematic review will provide a detailed summary of current evidences related to the efficacy of Acu-TENS in improving exercise capacity, breathlessness, quality of life, and lung function of patients with COPD. CONCLUSION: This evidence may be useful to clinicians, patients, and health policy makers with regard to the use of Acu-TENS in the treatment of COPD. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This review will not gather original data; hence, ethical approval is not required. The results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication or conference presentations.