Evaluating the efficacy and safety of bromhexine hydrochloride tablets in treating pediatric COVID-19: A protocol for meta-analysis and systematic review

BACKGROUND: Bromhexine hydrochloride tablets may be effective in the treatment of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children. This study will further evaluate the efficacy and safety of bromhexine hydrochloride tablets in the treatment of COVID-19 in children. METHODS: The following electronic databases will be searched, with all relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to August 2020 to be included: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chongqing VIP China Science and Technology Database (VIP), Wanfang, the Technology Periodical Database, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM). As well as the above, Baidu, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), Google Scholar, and the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) will also be searched to obtain more comprehensive data. Besides, the references of the included literature will also be traced to supplement our search results and to obtain all relevant literature. RESULTS: This systematic review will evaluate the current status of bromhexine hydrochloride in the treatment of COVID-19 in children, to evaluate its efficacy and safety. CONCLUSION: This study will provide the latest evidence for evaluating the efficacy and safety of bromhexine hydrochloride in the treatment of COVID-19 in children. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020199805. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The private information of individuals will not be published. This systematic review will also not involve endangering participant rights. Ethical approval is not available. The results may be published in peer-reviewed journals or disseminated at relevant conferences.