Shuanghuanglian Injection for Viral Pneumonia: A Protocol for Meta-analysis

Abstract Background:Viral pneumonia is inflammation (irritation and swelling) of the lungs due to infection with a virus. Rapidly progressing viral pneumonia is associated with considerable mortality, representing a severe threat and imparting a substantial financial burden worldwide.Specific treatments for the viral pneumonia were not yet determined. Recently, Shuanghuanglian injection of Traditional Chinese Medicine was used to treat viral pneumonia. However,there is no systematic reviews have evaluated its efficacy and safety for viral pneumonia.Methods:We search four English databases ( Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane library) and four Chinese databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database) for all randomized controlled trial of Shuanghuanglian injection for the treatment of viral pneumonia until 11st of December , 2020. Two reviewers individually extracted data from the included randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Data will be synthesized by either the fixed-effects or random-effects model according to a heterogeneity test, Methodological quality assessment and risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane bias risk tool. Meta-analysis will be performed using RevMan5.3.5 software provided by the Cochrane Collaboration.Results: Viral pneumonia has become a disease with substantial mortality. A systematic review assessing the beneficial and harmful effects of Shuanghuanglian injection for viral pneumonia is needed. This study will compare the different outcome indicators of various studies directly and indirectly.This analysis will provide a high-quality synthesis of effectiveness and safety of Shuanghuanglian injection treatment for viral pneumonia.The main outcome indicators include: Outcomes will include mortality, cure rate, efficacy or adverse events confirmed by imaging diagnosis. Systematic review registration: INPLASY2020120047.