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Acupuncture for nasal congestion in COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Zhibin Dong1, Jinyun Guo, Tingting Deng
1Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Insights
This study evaluates acupuncture's effectiveness for treating nasal congestion caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Findings will inform clinical decisions regarding this common COVID-19 symptom.
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Evidence-Based Practice
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused global health crises, with nasal congestion being a significant symptom.
- Acupuncture is a common treatment for COVID-19-related nasal congestion in China, yet lacks robust evidence.
- This study addresses the need for evidence-based evaluation of acupuncture for this condition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for treating nasal congestion in patients with COVID-19.
- To provide a high-quality, evidence-based evaluation of acupuncture's role in managing COVID-19 symptoms.
- To inform clinical practice and treatment guidelines.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, etc.) for randomized controlled trials.
- Studies were screened using predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria.
- Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager and STATA, with quality assessed using the Cochrane risk bias tool.
Main Results:
- The study aims to deliver a rigorous assessment of acupuncture's efficacy and safety for COVID-19 nasal congestion.
- Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals, ensuring scientific validity.
- The evidentiary grade of the findings will be evaluated.
Conclusions:
- The findings will serve as crucial references for future clinical decision-making.
- This research will contribute to the development of evidence-based guidance for managing COVID-19 symptoms.
- It supports the integration of acupuncture into mainstream treatment protocols.
Background:
From the end of 2019 to now, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has put enormous strain on the world's health systems, causing significant deaths and economic losses worldwide. Nasal congestion, one of the symptoms of COVID-19, poses considerable problems for patients. In China, acupuncture has been widely used to treat nasal congestion caused by COVID-19, but there is still a lack of evidence-based medical evaluation.
Methods:
According to the retrieval strategies, randomized controlled trials on the acupuncture for COVID-19 nasal congestion were obtained from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang, VIP, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, regardless of publication date, or language. Studies were screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the Cochrane risk bias assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager (RevMan 5.3) and STATA 14.2 software. Ultimately, the evidentiary grade for the results will be evaluated.
Results:
The study will provide a high-quality and convincing assessment of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of COVID-19's nasal congestion and will be published in peer-reviewed journals.
Conclusion:
Our findings will provide references for future clinical decision and guidance development.
Prospero Registration Number:
NO.CRD42021299482.
