Efficacy and safety of moxibustion in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is one of the common diseases in female urinary system diseases, and the incidence is increasing year by year. Moxibustion therapy, as a kind of acupuncture therapy, has been widely used in the clinical treatment of SUI, but its therapeutic effect and safety have not been scientifically and systematically evaluated. Therefore, the protocol of this systematic review we propose this time is to scientifically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence (FSUI). METHODS: The following 8 electronic databases will be searched from establishment to December 2021: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database, Wanfang Database, China Biology Medicine disc. All randomized controlled trials of moxibustion in the treatment of FSUI will be searched in the above electronic databases. Two reviewers will independently complete research selection, data extraction, and research quality evaluation. After screening the studies, the quality of the included studies will be evaluated according to the quality standards specified in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (version 5.1.0). The primary outcome of included studies is the change from baseline in urine leakage measured by the 1-hour pad test. Secondary outcomes include: the short-form of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire, the mean 72-hour urinary incontinence episode frequency, self-assessment of the patient's treatment effect, severity of urinary incontinence, and adverse events. Two reviewers will independently conduct study selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment, and study quality assessment. And the STATA 14.0 software will be implemented for data synthesis and meta-analysis. RESULTS: The result of this meta-analysis will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals for publication, and a comprehensive review of current evidence will be conducted. CONCLUSIONS: The conclusion of this systematic review will provide evidence for judging whether moxibustion is a safer and more effective intervention for female stress urinary incontinence. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: The protocol has been registered on INPLASY2021120052.