Effect of electroacupuncture treatment on functional constipation in adults: A protocol for systematic review

BACKGROUND: Electroacupuncture has been widely used to treat functional constipation. But its efficiency has not been scientifically and methodically evaluated. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficiency and safety of the electroacupuncture treatment for functional constipation in adults. METHODS: This protocol of systematic review will be conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). We will conduct the literature searching in the following electronic databases: the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Springer, the Chinese Science Citation Database (CSCD), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Wanfang, and the Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP). The time limit for retrieving studies is from establishment to July 2020 for each database. All published randomized controlled trials (RTCs) related to this review will be included. Review Manager (V.5.3.5) will be implemented for the assessment of bias risk and data analyses. The selection of the studies, data abstraction, and validations will be performed independently by 2 researchers. RESULTS: This review will assess the clinical efficacy and safety, as well as the acupoints characteristics of electroacupuncture on functional constipation (FC) in adults. CONCLUSION: This review will summarize the current evidence of electroacupuncture on FC outcomes and provide guidance for clinicians and patients to select electroacupuncture for FC in adults. TRAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER: This protocol of systematic review has been registered on PROSPERO website (No. CRD42019146715).