Acupuncture combined with traditional Chinese medicine for allergic rhinitis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a prevalent yet underappreciated inflammatory disorder of nasal mucosa, which is characterized by pruritus, sneezing, rhinorrhoea, and nasal congestion, some studies have pointed out that if combine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with acupuncture, which can enhance the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion. However, safety and efficacy of acupuncture combined with traditional Chinese medicine for treating allergic rhinitis remain largely uncertain. In our study, we will perform the first systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture combined with TCM for AR. Methods We will search the randomized controlled (RCT) literatures involving acupuncture combined with TCM for treating AR in seven electric databases, including PubMed, Web of science, EMBASE, the Cochrane library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), WanFang Database. We will define the total effective rate or cure rate, and recurrence rate as the primary outcomes. the rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ) score, symptom score (nasal congestion, snot, sneezing) will be regarded as the secondary outcomes. Quality assessment of included studies will be independently performed according to the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Meanwhile, the level of evidence for results will be assessed by using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) method. All analysis will be conducted by using the RevMan software V5.4. Conclusion The conclusion of this study will confirm safety and efficacy of acupuncture combined with TCM in the treatment of allergic rhinitis, which can provide new evidence to guide appropriate interventions on AR with acupuncture combine with TCM in future. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42021247621