Chinese herbal medicine injections (CHMIs) for chronic pulmonary heart disease: A protocol for a Bayesian network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Chinese herbal medicine injections (CHMIs) are frequently used for various refractory diseases including chronic pulmonary heart disease (CPHD). However, due to the diversity of CHMIs treatments, its relative effectiveness and safety remain unclear. In our study, Bayesian network meta-analysis will be used to identify differences in efficacy and safety between diverse CHMI for CPHD. METHODS: Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective controlled clinical trials published in PubMed, Google Scholar, Excerpt Medica Database, Medline, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China Scientific Journal Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database and Wanfang Database will be systematic searched to identify eligible studies from their establishment to December 2020. The methodological qualities, including the risk of bias, will be evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. Stata14.2 and WinBUGS 1.4.3 software were used for data synthesis. The evidentiary grade of the results will be also evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. RESULTS: The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal, and provide reliable evidence for different CHMIs on CPHD. CONCLUSIONS: The findings will provide reference for evaluating the efficacy and safety of different CHMIs for CPHD, and provide a helpful evidence for clinicians to formulate the best adjuvant treatment strategy for CPHD patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2020120004.