Effects of herb-partitioned moxibustion for diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is a common functional intestinal disease characterized by abdominal pain and diarrhea. Herb-partitioned moxibustion (HPM), a characteristic external therapy, is effective in treating IBS-D. However, no systematic review has been carried out to assess the efficacy and safety of HPM for IBS-D. The aim of this study will systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of HPM for the treatment of patients with IBS-D. METHODS: We will perform the comprehensive literature search in both English and Chinese electronic database including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science database, Medline, Chinese BioMedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database, Chongqing VIP information, and SinoMed from their inception to July 2020. All randomized controlled trials of HPM for the treatment of IBS-D will be included. RevManV5. 3 will be applied to analyze the data. RESULTS: This study will provide high-quality synthesis of current evidence of effectiveness and safety on HPM for patients with IBS-D. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of our systematic review will provide evidence to judge whether HPM is an effective intervention for IBS-D. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: 10.17605/OSF.IO/3JXCZ.