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. 2022 Aug 1;17(8):e0272371. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272371

Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine nasal irrigation on chronic rhinosinusitis recovery after endoscopic sinus surgery: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Yepeng Yang 1,2, Yaning Sun 1,2, Feng Xiang 1,2, Min Zhang 1,2, Li Fu 1,2, Qinxiu Zhang 1,2,3,*
Editor: Giannicola Iannella4
PMCID: PMC9342793  PMID: 35913939

Abstract

Background

Continuous comprehensive treatment is still needed after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) to promote the recovery of sinus mucosal morphology and function. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) nasal irrigation is a promising external treatment of TCM, but at present, the application of TCM nasal irrigation after ESS for CRS has not been recommended by the guidelines. Therefore, this article aims to develop a systematic overview and meta-analysis protocol to assess the effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbal nasal rinse for CRS recovery after ESS.

Methods

Seven databases shall be retrieved from their inception until December 2021. Eligible randomized controlled trials will be covered in the study. The outcome indicators of the survey will consist of efficacy, visual analogue scale score, Lund-Kennedy score for nasal endoscopy, Lund-Mackay score for sinus computed tomography and other secondary outcome indicators. The selection of literature, extraction of data, and methodological quality evaluation of literature shall be conducted by two researchers separately. If there is any dispute, it can be discussed and solved by a third researcher. Review Manager 5.3 software will be applied to data analysis.

Results

The article will make a detailed research programme to explore the efficacy and safety of TCM nasal irrigation on CRS recovery after ESS.

Conclusion

This protocol is suitable for evaluating the effectiveness and safety of TCM nasal rinse for CRS recovery after ESS, and can provide corresponding evidence-based medical evidence.

Systematic review registration

Open Science Framework Registration DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/ZV73Q.

Introduction

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common disease in otorhinolaryngology, impacting 5–12% of the general population [1]. The overall prevalence of CRS in the Chinese population is 8% [2,3], slightly lower than 10.9% in Europe [4] and 12% in the United States [5]. CRS is a highly heterogeneous disease, and its pathogenesis is related to the chronic obstruction of the ostiomeatal complex caused by anatomical differences, viral and bacterial infections, allergies, genetics and other factors [6]. The Chinese epidemiological survey data showed that 11.2% of CRS patients had asthma, and 27.3% had airway hyperresponsiveness [7]. A systematic review conducted by Antonino et al. showed that CRS was closely associated with atopy (49.9%), asthma (50.33%), samter triad (4.9%), and eosinophilia (4.28%) [8]. CRS greatly affects the social economy and patients’ quality of life. In the United States, the total direct costs associated with CRS range from $10 billion to $13 billion each year; the total overhead cost of job productivity losses associated with CRS is estimated to exceed $20 billion per year [9]. In addition, persistent symptoms can also affect the patient’s life and work, and even lead to problems such as depression or anxiety.

At present, there are two main treatment methods for chronic sinusitis: drug therapy and surgery. After ineffective drug treatment, endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is a standard surgical treatment method. The endoscopic treatment represents the best therapeutic option that the surgeon can offer for invasiveness and safety, allowing quick post-surgical, less postoperative pain and fewer complications [10]. However, surgery cannot change the inflammatory nature of the sinus mucosa, and continuous surgical cavity nursing and comprehensive drug therapy are still required to promote the gradual recovery of the morphology and function of the sinus mucosa [11]. In comprehensive postoperative treatment, seeking more effective and ideal treatment measures to stimulate the healing of the mucosal morphology and function of the surgical cavity is an important research topic faced by contemporary rhinologists.

As an essential adjuvant therapy after ESS, nasal irrigation has achieved specific curative effects in clinical application and has the advantage of fewer side effects. In addition to mechanical drainage to clean the postoperative nasal cavity, nasal irrigation can also reduce sinus mucosal inflammation, improve mucociliary clearance, and accelerate the recovery of sinus mucosal structure and function [1215]. At present, postoperative nasal irrigation solutions include normal saline, hypertonic saline, normal saline with corticosteroids and (or) antibiotics, Chinese medicine liquid, etc. Normal saline causes no irritation to the nasal mucosa and is the most commonly used nasal rinse after surgery, but its curative effect is limited. Hypertonic saline can reduce nasal mucosal edema, but a high concentration of saline will inhibit the motor function of cilia. Jiao et al. found that hypertonic 3.0% saline significantly reduced the epithelial mucociliary or barrier function of cultured human nasal epithelial cells. Moreover, it had apparent cytotoxic effects on human nasal epithelial cells [16]. Glucocorticoids have a significant effect on reducing mucosal edema and polyp formation in the surgical cavity and promoting mucosal recovery [17]. A meta-analysis of studies by Yoon et al. showed that the beneficial effect of additional steroids in saline irrigation compared with saline irrigation alone was equivocal in terms of endoscopic score and CRS-related quality of life improvement [18]. Soudry et al. revealed that long-term nasal rinse with budesonide is generally safe, but some patients may experience asymptomatic hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) suppression. Simultaneous use of a nasal steroid spray and a pulmonary steroid inhaler increases the risk of HPAA, especially with daily budesonide nasal irrigation [19].

Over the recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) nasal irrigation has gradually attracted the attention of researchers. More and more clinical trials have evaluated the effect of TCM nasal rinse on CRS recovery after ESS, indicating that it may be an effective and safe treatment method. Studies have revealed that [2024] local nasal irrigation with TCM is effective in reducing nasal mucosa edema, promoting epithelialization of surgical cavity mucosa, and promoting the recovery of nasal mucociliary structure and motor function. Moreover, the local action mechanism of TCM is not a single antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, but also related to local immune regulation. Chinese medicine nasal irrigation has high safety and no obvious adverse reactions. Before and after treatment, the patient’s liver and kidney functions were normal. Only a few patients experienced nasal pain, nasal itching, and headache during nasal irrigation [2426]. A systematic review published in 2011 showed the effectiveness and safety of TCM nasal irrigation for the postoperative recovery of chronic sinusitis after ESS [27]. However, many related clinical trials and new efficacy evaluation indicators have been added in recent years. Therefore, this paper aims to formulate a research plan to explore whether Chinese herbal nasal irrigation is effective and safe for the recovery of chronic sinusitis after ESS.

Methods

Protocol registration

The research protocol has been registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF) under the registration DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/ZV73Q (http://osf.io/zt7h9).

According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Protocol (PRISMA-P) [28], We accomplished this research protocol. This research is a secondary acquisition and analysis of the data, and therefore no ethical approval or patient informed consent is required.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Types of research

All randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness and safety of TCM nasal irrigation for CRS recovery after ESS shall be contained. The deadline for the included documents is December 31,2021. The postoperative nasal irrigation time of patients should be at least one month. If it is less than one month, the literature will not be included. Languages are confined to English and Chinese, with no restrictions on publication type and blindness. Duplicate publications, non-randomized controls, narrative reviews, case reports, animal tests, and other unrelated papers will be excluded.

Participants

All cases must meet the diagnostic criteria of this disease [11] and have undergone nasal endoscopic sinus surgery. After the operation, nasal irrigation was performed on the basis of standard treatment, regardless of sex, age, and race. Trials with allergic rhinitis shall be eliminated.

Interventions

The experimental group is irrigated with Chinese medicine, and the control group is irrigated with normal saline alone. The experimental group is given Chinese medicine combined with normal saline nasal rinse, while the control group is given normal saline plus antibiotics and (or) glucocorticoid nasal rinse. The experimental group is treated with Chinese medicine combined with normal saline plus antibiotics and (or) glucocorticoid nasal rinse, while the control group is treated with normal saline plus antibiotics and (or) glucocorticoid nasal irrigation.

Outcome indicators

Main outcome indicators: efficacy, including effective rate and cure rate, visual analogue scale score, Lund-Kennedy score of nose endoscope, and Lund-Mackay score of nasal sinus computed tomography.

Secondary outcome indicators: sino-nasal outcome test-20 scale, sino-nasal outcome test-22 scale, medical outcome study short form 36-items health survey, mucociliary transit time or mucociliary transport rate, cleaning time of surgical cavity, epithelization time of operative cavity, nasal immune function index determination, adverse reactions.

Retrieval strategies

These seven databases shall be retrieved from their inception to December 2021: PubMed, Excerpt Medical Database (Embase), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP) and Wan Fang Database. Retrieval strategies of the PubMed database are displayed in Table 1, and the search strategies of other databases are adjusted accordingly. In addition, ongoing clinical trials can be searched in the Chinese clinical trial registry. References to all relevant papers can be searched manually to facilitate access to more experimental and related research data. We can get in touch with the author by email for more details, if necessary.

Table 1. Search strategy for PubMed.

Number Search terms
#1 (chronic sinusitis) OR (chronic rhinosinusitis) OR (sinusitis) OR (rhinosinusitis) OR (nasosinusitis) OR (nasal sinusitis)
#2 (endoscopic sinus surgery) OR (functional endoscopic sinus surgery) OR (endoscopic surgery) OR (nasal endoscope) OR (nose endoscope)
#3 (nasal irrigation) OR (nasal cavity irrigation) OR (nasal lavage) OR (nasal douche) OR (nasal rinse) OR (nasal wash)
#4 (traditional Chinese medicine) OR (Chinese medicine) OR (Chinese herb)
#5 #1 AND #2 AND #3 AND #4
#6 (randomized controlled trial) OR (clinical study) OR (clinical trial) OR (controlled clinical trial)
#7 #5 AND #6

Selection of literature

According to the above search strategy, firstly, two independent reviewers (Yang YP and Sun YN) will conduct a literature search, and obtained literature will be imported into Endnotes X9 for deduplication. Then, two independent reviewers (Yang YP and Sun YN) screen through reading headlines and summaries, download the full text of the document that initially meets the standards, and decide on the inclusion and exclusion of the document after reading the full text. If they disagree, they can discuss with the third reviewer (Zhang QX) to decide whether to include the study. The selection process of literature is based on the PRISMA flow diagram (Fig 1).

Fig 1. Flowchart of study selection.

Fig 1

Data extraction

Two independent investigators (Xiang F and Zhang M) will respectively extract the publication year, author’s name, sample size, patient characteristics (such as age, course of the disease, etc.), detailed information of intervention and control measures (such as the specific composition and dosage of TCM), outcome indicators and literature quality (such as randomized control method, blinding, allocation concealment, etc.), adverse reactions and other relevant information. For incomplete data, we shall contact the article’s authors to supplement associated data. For different opinions, we discuss with Zhang QX to resolve the dispute.

Methodological quality assessment

Xiang F and Fu L will evaluate the relevant literature methodology on the basis of the bias risk assessment tool in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (version 5.1.0) [29], and apply RevMan 5.3 software to produce an example graph of risk bias assessment results. If there is any disagreement, we will discuss the decision with Zhang Qinxiu.

Here are seven bias items: random sequence generation (selection bias), allocation concealment (selection bias), blinding of subjects and researchers (implementation bias), blinding of outcome assessors (measurement bias), incomplete outcome data (follow-up bias), selective reporting (reporting bias), other bias. Each item will be judged as "low risk of bias", "high risk of bias" and "unclear" according to the risk of bias assessment criteria.

Data analysis

Review Manager 5.3 will be applied to data analysis. The risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) will be used for the dichotomous data. For continuous measurement data, mean differences (MD) and 95% CI will be used. If the outcome measures of the study are different, the standardized mean difference (SMD) shall be adopted.

Heterogeneity will be assessed using the chi-square test and I2 statistic. If P > 0.1 or I2 < 50% indicates that there is no apparent heterogeneity, a fixed-effects model will be selected; or else, there is significant heterogeneity, and a random-effects model can be applied. For sources of heterogeneity, we can perform subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses. According to factors such as age, course of the disease, the dose of TCM, and quality of literature, the literature can be grouped, and the literature corresponding to relevant factors can be combined for subgroup analysis to evaluate the impact on outcome indicators. Alternatively, we can eliminate the literature one by one to see if the heterogeneity has changed. If the heterogeneity changes after excluding specific literature, this literature may be the origin of heterogeneity, which may be analyzed from experimental design, sample volume, outcome indicators, etc. If the heterogeneity does not change significantly after each article is eliminated, the results are more reliable. If the data cannot be analyzed quantitatively, we shall make a qualitative description.

If more than 10 studies are included, a funnel chart will be made to determine whether there is publication bias. Finally, the strength of the evidence can be rated using the grades of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation profiler.

Discussion

CRS refers to chronic inflammation of the sinus mucosa caused by the dysfunction between all kinds of environmental aspects and the host immune system. In healthy humans, the mucosa is a barrier that modulates interactions with the host immune system, promotes tolerance and symbiosis, and prevents or limits inflammation [1]. In CRS patients, this barrier is penetrated, leading to chronic inflammation [1]. The mucociliary clearance function, humidification and filtration function of inflammatory nasal mucosa will reduce. Patients may develop inferior turbinate hypertrophy and nasal congestion and do not respond to standard medical therapy [30]. Endoscopic sinus surgery can solve the problem of sinus ostium obstruction and drainage, and create the necessary conditions for the benign outcome of sinus mucosal inflammation. However, after ESS, the operative cavity is exposed, secretions are retained, and crusts are accumulated, and some new lesions may occur, such as mucosal edema, vesicle formation, and polyp regeneration. The nasal mucosa transformation after ESS includes the following four stages: cleaning of the surgical cavity, mucosal transition, complete epithelialization, and tissue remodeling [31]. Therefore, promoting the benign outcome and epithelialization of the mucosa of the surgical cavity and reducing mucosal edema, vesicles, granulation, and other lesions during the postoperative outcome stage is an essential link to treating chronic sinusitis.

Chinese medicine nasal irrigation is a kind of external treatment of TCM, which has the unique advantages of TCM prevention and treatment. While cleaning the nasal cavity, it can also be absorbed and administered through local mucosa to achieve local and systemic therapeutic effects. Chronic sinusitis belongs to the category of "biyuan" in TCM. Chinese medicine believes that the primary pathogenesis of biyuan is wind-heat in the lung meridian, stagnant-heat in the gallbladder, and damp-heat in the spleen and stomach. Therefore, at present, TCM washing liquids are mainly selected with Chinese medicines with the functions of clearing heat and promoting diuresis, purging intense heat and detoxicating, activating circulation and removing blood stasis, and clearing the nasal cavity. Their curative effects have also been well reflected in clinical practice. Sihuang cangtao decoction is composed of coptis, cortex phellodendri, radix scutellariae, cocklebur fruit, peach seed, etc. It has the effects of clearing away heat and expelling pus, tonifying spleen and excreting dampness, activating blood to remove stasis, and dispersing and relieving nose orifice. Sihuang cangtao decoction nasal irrigation can control the inflammatory exudation and scab production of surgical wounds in patients with chronic sinusitis after the operation, prevent granulation tissue hyperplasia and vesicle formation, and improve the symptoms and signs scores of patients after the operation without noticeable adverse reactions [32]. The drug composition of Tongqiao flushing formula includes radix astragali, peach seed, flos magnoliae, radix angelicae dahuricae, platycodon grandiflorum, spina gleditsiae, flos chrysanthemi indici, etc., which has the functions of activating blood to remove stasis, draining the pus and clearing the orifices. Tongqiao irrigation formula used for nasal irrigation after ESS for chronic sinusitis can significantly shorten the epithelization time of the operation cavity, accelerate the recovery of the operation cavity mucosa and improve the postoperative symptoms and signs [33]. In addition, some modern pharmacological studies have proved that flos magnoliae, cocklebur fruit, radix angelicae dahuricae, radix scutellariae, coptis, cortex phellodendri, peach seed and flos chrysanthemi indici have anti-inflammatory effects [3441]. Coptis polysaccharide can enhance the phagocytosis of macrophages, promote the differentiation, development and maturation of T cells, and play an immunomodulatory role [42]. Radix astragali and peach seed have a two-way regulating effect on the immune system. Aiming at the situation of low immunity, it can improve the immune function of the body. For the inflammatory response caused by hyperimmunity, it can inhibit the inflammatory response of the body [43,44].

Nasal irrigation is an effective auxiliary means for the treatment of chronic sinusitis after ESS. It is beneficial to postoperative nursing and nasal mucosal repair. In 2015, "AAO-HNS Clinical Practice Guidelines: Adult Sinusitis " pointed out that clinicians recommend nasal saline irrigation as an adjuvant treatment for chronic sinusitis, which can moisturize nasal mucosa, remove blood clots and scabs and promote mucosal healing after sinusitis surgery [45]. However, the relevant guidelines do not give opinions on TCM nasal irrigation, which may be caused by the deficiency of evidence-based medical evidence. Thus, this research aims to formulate a study protocol on the effectiveness and safety of TCM nasal irrigation on the recovery after ESS for chronic sinusitis, in order to offer more evidence-based medical support for the use of TCM nasal rinse after ESS for chronic sinusitis.

Supporting information

S1 Checklist. PRISMA-P 2015 checklist.

(DOC)

Abbreviations

CRS

chronic rhinosinusitis

ESS

endoscopic sinus surgery

TCM

traditional Chinese medicine

HPAA

hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

PRISMA-P

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Protocol

Embase

Excerpt Medical Database

CENTRAL

Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials

CBM

Chinese Biomedical Literature Database

CNKI

China National Knowledge Infrastructure

VIP

Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database

RR

relative risk

CI

onfidence interval

MD

mean differences

SMD

standardized mean difference

Data Availability

Deidentified research data will be made publicly available when the study is completed and published.

Funding Statement

This work was supported by a Grant from Xinglin Scholars Scientific Research Promotion Plan of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Innovation team of traditional Chinese medicine otorhinolaryngology discipline, natural science(XKTD2021003). URL:https://www.cdutcm.edu.cn/. The funders had and will not have a role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Decision Letter 0

Giannicola Iannella

4 May 2022

PONE-D-22-04435Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine nasal irrigation on chronic rhinosinusitis recovery after endoscopic sinus surgery:A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysisPLOS ONE

Dear Dr. Zhang,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process.

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Giannicola Iannella, M.D

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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Additional Editor Comments:

please revise the manuscript according to the comments of the reviewers

[Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.]

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Does the manuscript provide a valid rationale for the proposed study, with clearly identified and justified research questions?

The research question outlined is expected to address a valid academic problem or topic and contribute to the base of knowledge in the field.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

********** 

2. Is the protocol technically sound and planned in a manner that will lead to a meaningful outcome and allow testing the stated hypotheses?

The manuscript should describe the methods in sufficient detail to prevent undisclosed flexibility in the experimental procedure or analysis pipeline, including sufficient outcome-neutral conditions (e.g. necessary controls, absence of floor or ceiling effects) to test the proposed hypotheses and a statistical power analysis where applicable. As there may be aspects of the methodology and analysis which can only be refined once the work is undertaken, authors should outline potential assumptions and explicitly describe what aspects of the proposed analyses, if any, are exploratory.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Partly

********** 

3. Is the methodology feasible and described in sufficient detail to allow the work to be replicable?

Descriptions of methods and materials in the protocol should be reported in sufficient detail for another researcher to reproduce all experiments and analyses. The protocol should describe the appropriate controls, sample size calculations, and replication needed to ensure that the data are robust and reproducible.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

********** 

4. Have the authors described where all data underlying the findings will be made available when the study is complete?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception, at the time of publication. The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: No

********** 

5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

********** 

6. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above and, if applicable, provide comments about issues authors must address before this protocol can be accepted for publication. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about research or publication ethics.

You may also provide optional suggestions and comments to authors that they might find helpful in planning their study.

(Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: The paper is interesting minor corrections could be improve the overall quality:

English editing should be performed.

I should change the titile in PLOS ONE

Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese'' Effectiveness of traditiona..a systematic review..

Abstract

we used..not We will use Review Manager 5.3 software

Introduction

- Pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common disorder that carries significant morbidity. The diagnosis requires sinus symptoms that persist despite standard medical therapy greater than 3 months. Viral infections, allergies, and anatomic differences in children lead to chronic obstruction of the osteomeatal complex. The diagnosis is a conglomeration of multiple phenotypes and endotypes. As such, the diagnosis and management are complex. The emerging potential treatment options of CRS, including anti-immunoglobulin E, interleukin-5, and interleukin-4 receptor alpha subunit. please discuss and cite doi:10.1007/s11882-018-0792-8

- line 63, An interesting systematic review on single-nucleotide polymorphisms and risk-related chronic rhinosinusitis reporting the gene variation implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammation and polyps. 12 papers with 9127 patients, of which 2739 CRS cases and 6388 controls were found. The major comorbidities reported related to chronic rhinosinusitis were atopy in 4555 (49.9%), asthma in 4594 (50.33%), Samter Triad in 448 (4.9%) and eosinophilia in 391 subjects (4.28%). please cite doi:10.1111/coa.13870

- line 67, Endoscopic treatment represents the best therapeutic option that the surgeon can offer for invasiveness and safety, allowing quick post-surgical recovery, less postoperative pain and fewer complications. please discuss and cite doi:10.1007/s00405-021-06724-6

- line 72, Nasal saline irrigation (NSI) plays an important role in the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). It is a beneficial low-risk treatment that serves an adjunctive function in the medical and surgical management of CRS. NSI is hypothesized to function by thinning mucous, improving mucociliary clearance, decreasing edema, and reducing antigen load in the nasal and sinus cavities. Although its use in CRS is nearly universal, significant variety exists with regard to delivery volume, delivery pressure, frequency of use, duration of use, composition, and hygiene recommendations. Evidence is limited regarding the most optimal methods of NSI delivery. In addition, use of NSI has recently come under increasing scrutiny due to potential associations with cases of primary amebic meningoencephalitis. An interestin review provided a clinical update summarizing use of NSI for treatment of CRS, including current recommendations for use, and data regarding overall efficacy, available delivery devices, solution composition, and hygiene. please discuss and cite doi:10.1002/alr.22330

Methods

- please adpat pictos framework

- All verbs in the text must be edited in the third person. For now we write '' We can do the research ... and changing it also in the past: a research has been carried out

Discuss the bias analysis and majors tools used.

Discussion

line 199, The inflammatory nasal mucosa therefore loses the function of mucociliary clearance, humidification and filter, the patient has nasal obstruction and does not respond over time even to standard medical therapy. please discuss and cite doi:10.1007/s00405-022-07267-0

Reviewer #2: This protocol is an interesting proposal of research concerning a widespread postoperative issue after Endoscopic Sinus Surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis.

However, there are some major limitations about this topic and this specific protocol.

First, TCM nasal irrigations are not clearly and accurately defined in a unique composition. This means that it can be difficult to compare a control group to an intervention group, because the intervention must be a precisely defined medication.

Second, possible disadvantages or complications related to the use of TCM irrigations are not mentioned (i.e. infections) but they are paramount when evaluating the indications to the interventions.

Further comments are pointed out below:

- Abstract, lines 24-25: do the Authors mean “after endoscopic sinus susrgery (ESS) for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS)”? please correct if affirmative

- Introduction, line 65: I would consider to list every single drug category indicated in CRS or in alternative do not list them at all.

- Line 74: “has the characteristics of more minor side effects and easy operation” please revise the English form and the overall concept of the sentence

- Citation 8 and 9 have the same title but different Author; reference nr. 9 is not available in the international databases, the nr. 8 is a Chinese language article; please consider international and English language references. The same comment is related also to References nr. 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 (not available in the international literature or non existent / incorrect DOI)

- Line 80: please replace “has” with “causes”

- Line 87: long-term use is not the point, please clarify the use of intranasal topical corticosteroids in the postoperative period

- In the section Inclusion criteria please state the chronological eligibility criteria of the studies

- Methods, Line 118: it is not clear what “simultaneously” means, consider explaining or removing it.

- Interventions section: control group should not include no treatment nor irrigations with glucocorticoids or antibiotics, but only saline irrigation in the postoperative time, while interventions should be represented only by saline irrigations with TCM.

********** 

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Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

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PLoS One. 2022 Aug 1;17(8):e0272371. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272371.r002

Author response to Decision Letter 0


12 Jun 2022

Reviewer #1: The paper is interesting minor corrections could be improve the overall quality:

English editing should be performed.

I should change the titile in PLOS ONE

Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese'' Effectiveness of traditiona..a systematic review..

Abstract

we used..not We will use Review Manager 5.3 software

Introduction

- Pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common disorder that carries significant morbidity. The diagnosis requires sinus symptoms that persist despite standard medical therapy greater than 3 months. Viral infections, allergies, and anatomic differences in children lead to chronic obstruction of the osteomeatal complex. The diagnosis is a conglomeration of multiple phenotypes and endotypes. As such, the diagnosis and management are complex. The emerging potential treatment options of CRS, including anti-immunoglobulin E, interleukin-5, and interleukin-4 receptor alpha subunit. please discuss and cite doi:10.1007/s11882-018-0792-8

- line 63, An interesting systematic review on single-nucleotide polymorphisms and risk-related chronic rhinosinusitis reporting the gene variation implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammation and polyps. 12 papers with 9127 patients, of which 2739 CRS cases and 6388 controls were found. The major comorbidities reported related to chronic rhinosinusitis were atopy in 4555 (49.9%), asthma in 4594 (50.33%), Samter Triad in 448 (4.9%) and eosinophilia in 391 subjects (4.28%). please cite doi:10.1111/coa.13870

- line 67, Endoscopic treatment represents the best therapeutic option that the surgeon can offer for invasiveness and safety, allowing quick post-surgical recovery, less postoperative pain and fewer complications. please discuss and cite doi:10.1007/s00405-021-06724-6

- line 72, Nasal saline irrigation (NSI) plays an important role in the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). It is a beneficial low-risk treatment that serves an adjunctive function in the medical and surgical management of CRS. NSI is hypothesized to function by thinning mucous, improving mucociliary clearance, decreasing edema, and reducing antigen load in the nasal and sinus cavities. Although its use in CRS is nearly universal, significant variety exists with regard to delivery volume, delivery pressure, frequency of use, duration of use, composition, and hygiene recommendations. Evidence is limited regarding the most optimal methods of NSI delivery. In addition, use of NSI has recently come under increasing scrutiny due to potential associations with cases of primary amebic meningoencephalitis. An interestin review provided a clinical update summarizing use of NSI for treatment of CRS, including current recommendations for use, and data regarding overall efficacy, available delivery devices, solution composition, and hygiene. please discuss and cite doi:10.1002/alr.22330

Methods

- please adpat pictos framework

- All verbs in the text must be edited in the third person. For now we write '' We can do the research ... and changing it also in the past: a research has been carried out

Discuss the bias analysis and majors tools used.

Discussion

line 199, The inflammatory nasal mucosa therefore loses the function of mucociliary clearance, humidification and filter, the patient has nasal obstruction and does not respond over time even to standard medical therapy. please discuss and cite doi:10.1007/s00405-022-07267-0

Reviewer #2: This protocol is an interesting proposal of research concerning a widespread postoperative issue after Endoscopic Sinus Surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis.

However, there are some major limitations about this topic and this specific protocol.

First, TCM nasal irrigations are not clearly and accurately defined in a unique composition. This means that it can be difficult to compare a control group to an intervention group, because the intervention must be a precisely defined medication.

Second, possible disadvantages or complications related to the use of TCM irrigations are not mentioned (i.e. infections) but they are paramount when evaluating the indications to the interventions.

Further comments are pointed out below:

- Abstract, lines 24-25: do the Authors mean “after endoscopic sinus susrgery (ESS) for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS)”? please correct if affirmative

- Introduction, line 65: I would consider to list every single drug category indicated in CRS or in alternative do not list them at all.

- Line 74: “has the characteristics of more minor side effects and easy operation” please revise the English form and the overall concept of the sentence

- Citation 8 and 9 have the same title but different Author; reference nr. 9 is not available in the international databases, the nr. 8 is a Chinese language article; please consider international and English language references. The same comment is related also to References nr. 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 (not available in the international literature or non existent / incorrect DOI)

- Line 80: please replace “has” with “causes”

- Line 87: long-term use is not the point, please clarify the use of intranasal topical corticosteroids in the postoperative period

- In the section Inclusion criteria please state the chronological eligibility criteria of the studies

- Methods, Line 118: it is not clear what “simultaneously” means, consider explaining or removing it.

- Interventions section: control group should not include no treatment nor irrigations with glucocorticoids or antibiotics, but only saline irrigation in the postoperative time, while interventions should be represented only by saline irrigations with TCM.

Attachment

Submitted filename: Response to Reviewers.docx

Decision Letter 1

Giannicola Iannella

19 Jul 2022

Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine nasal irrigation on chronic rhinosinusitis recovery after endoscopic sinus surgery:A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

PONE-D-22-04435R1

Dear Dr. Zhang,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

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Kind regards,

Giannicola Iannella, M.D

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

the authors well improved the manuscript after reviewers comments.

Reviewers' comments:

Acceptance letter

Giannicola Iannella

22 Jul 2022

PONE-D-22-04435R1

Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine nasal irrigation on chronic rhinosinusitis recovery after endoscopic sinus surgery: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Dear Dr. Zhang:

I'm pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been deemed suitable for publication in PLOS ONE. Congratulations! Your manuscript is now with our production department.

If your institution or institutions have a press office, please let them know about your upcoming paper now to help maximize its impact. If they'll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team within the next 48 hours. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information please contact onepress@plos.org.

If we can help with anything else, please email us at plosone@plos.org.

Thank you for submitting your work to PLOS ONE and supporting open access.

Kind regards,

PLOS ONE Editorial Office Staff

on behalf of

Dr. Giannicola Iannella

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Associated Data

    This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

    Supplementary Materials

    S1 Checklist. PRISMA-P 2015 checklist.

    (DOC)

    Attachment

    Submitted filename: Response to Reviewers.docx

    Data Availability Statement

    Deidentified research data will be made publicly available when the study is completed and published.


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