Zhisou powder in treatment of postinfectious cough: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: The pathogensis of postinfectious cough (PIC) is unkown, unsatisfactory clinical curative effects of conventional western medicine have been shown. Zhisou powder (ZP) is one of the most common prescriptions in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of PIC. However, the effects and safety also remain uncertain. We aim to systematically review the effectiveness and safety of ZP for PIC. METHODS: We will search the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure , the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Cqvip Database, and Wanfang Data. The studies published from the inception of the database to May 2020 will be retrieved. The randomized controlled trials on ZP for PIC will be included. The primary outcomes were cough relief rate and cough resolution rate. We will perform the analyses using RevMan V.5.3 software. RESULTS: This study will provide high-quality evidence of ZP for PIC in the effectiveness and safety. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review will assess whether ZP is an effective and safe prescription for PIC.