OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy for clearing heat and resolving phlegm on systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in acute deterioration stage of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the serum procalcitonin (PCT) level. METHODS:One hundred patients suffering from SIRS in acute deterioration stage of COPD were included and randomly divided into treatment group (50 cases) and control group (50 cases). Patients in the treatment group were treated with routine Western medicine and Chinese herbal medicine for clearing away heat and eliminating phlegm, while patients in the control group were treated with routine Western medicine only. Patients in the two groups were treated for one week. The serum PCT levels in the two groups were measured at days 1, 3, and 7, and clinical symptom scores were recorded at days 1 and 7 in hospital to determine the effects. RESULTS:Clinical symptom scores in the two groups decreased after the treatment (P<0.05), and the symptom score in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The effect of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment was obviously better than that of the Western medicine treatment when improving rates in clinical symptom score were divided into over 70% and less than 70% (P<0.05). Serum PCT concentration was in direct proportion to clinical symptom score (P<0.05). The patients with higher clinical symptom score were in more serious pathogenetic condition. There were no significant differences in the serum PCT concentrations among days 1, 3 and 7 in hospital. CONCLUSION: The effect of TCM therapy for clearing heat and removing phlegm combined with Western medicine treatment is better than that of the Western medicine treatment. TCM therapy has a satisfied effect in improving clinical symptoms. The serum PCT concentration is correlated with the severity of SIRS in acute deterioration stage of COPD.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy for clearing heat and resolving phlegm on systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in acute deterioration stage of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the serum procalcitonin (PCT) level. METHODS: One hundred patients suffering from SIRS in acute deterioration stage of COPD were included and randomly divided into treatment group (50 cases) and control group (50 cases). Patients in the treatment group were treated with routine Western medicine and Chinese herbal medicine for clearing away heat and eliminating phlegm, while patients in the control group were treated with routine Western medicine only. Patients in the two groups were treated for one week. The serum PCT levels in the two groups were measured at days 1, 3, and 7, and clinical symptom scores were recorded at days 1 and 7 in hospital to determine the effects. RESULTS: Clinical symptom scores in the two groups decreased after the treatment (P<0.05), and the symptom score in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The effect of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment was obviously better than that of the Western medicine treatment when improving rates in clinical symptom score were divided into over 70% and less than 70% (P<0.05). Serum PCT concentration was in direct proportion to clinical symptom score (P<0.05). The patients with higher clinical symptom score were in more serious pathogenetic condition. There were no significant differences in the serum PCT concentrations among days 1, 3 and 7 in hospital. CONCLUSION: The effect of TCM therapy for clearing heat and removing phlegm combined with Western medicine treatment is better than that of the Western medicine treatment. TCM therapy has a satisfied effect in improving clinical symptoms. The serum PCT concentration is correlated with the severity of SIRS in acute deterioration stage of COPD.
Authors: Xiankun Chen; Brian May; Yuan Ming Di; Anthony Lin Zhang; Chuanjian Lu; Charlie Changli Xue; Lin Lin Journal: PLoS One Date: 2014-03-12 Impact factor: 3.240