Effects of herb-partitioned moxibustion for ulcerative colitis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic, chronic inflammatory disease of the colonic mucosa. Herb-partitioned moxibustion (HPM) treatment has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of UC. However, there is still a lack of high-quality evidence to support the effectiveness and safety of HPM on patients with UC. This study will aim to systematically explore the efficacy of HPM for the treatment of UC. METHODS: We will search the electronic databases of Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library Central Register of Controlled Trials, China national knowledge infrastructure database (CNKI), Wan fang database, Chongqing VIP information, and SinoMed from their inception to June 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of HPM for the treatment of UC will be included. RevMan 5.3 software (The Nordic Cochrane Center, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark) will be applied for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of our systematic review will provide more appropriate evidence-based decisions to assist clinicians during the decision-making process when dealing with UC.