External application of herbal medicine for gout: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Gout affects a significant portion of the population worldwide annually. Numerous studies have been reported mainly in East Asia, explaining the use of traditional herbal decoctions for gout treatment. Our systematic review will be conducted to critically evaluate the evidence for the safety and effectiveness of external applications of herbal medicines on gout. METHODS: Two independent researchers will perform electronic literature searches, study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. To identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving various external applications of herbal medicine for gout, a search will be carried out using the following 7 electronic databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, KoreaMed, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Korean Studies Information Service System, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Each electronic database will be searched for articles published from their inception to the present date. Studies will be selected based on predefined criteria and summarized data regarding study participants, interventions, control groups, outcome measures, side effects, and risk of bias. There are no restrictions on publication status or language. Studies that evaluated any type of external application of herbal medicines will be eligible for inclusion, and the primary outcome will be the blood uric acid level. The methodological quality of the included RCTs will be assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. RESULTS: The present study will evaluate effectiveness and safety of external application of herbal medicines for gout. CONCLUSION: Our findings will establish evidence for the external application of herbal medicines for gout and will be informative for patients with gout, clinicians, policymakers, and researchers.The results of this systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated electronically and in print. This review will be updated to inform and guide healthcare practices. Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.