Efficacy and safety of lactulose for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome

BACKGROUND: In this study, investigators will evaluate the efficacy and safety of lactulose for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). METHODS: Literature search for relevant studies up to present will be conducted in MEDICINE, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Wangfang, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. The included studies are randomized controlled trials of lactulose in patients with IBS. We will use RevMan 5.3 software using statistical analysis. RESULTS: This study will provide a high-quality integration of current evidence of lactulose for treating IBS on several aspects including global IBS symptoms, abdominal pain, defecation urgency, stool frequency, stool consistency, quality of life, and adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: This study will provide the evidence for the clinical efficacy and safety of lactulose for the treatment of IBS. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42019140639.