Jun Song1, Ling Yang1, Shuai Su2, Mei Yu Piao2, Bao Li Li3, Yue Yu4, Wen Yong Yu4, Mei Zhang5, Lie Xin Liang6, Guo Wen Zuo6, Zhi Min Tang7, Yan Qin Long8, Xiao Li Chen8, Ning Dai8, Jian Ling Mo9, Rong Quan Wang10, Jing Chen11, Xiao Hua Hou1. 1. Division of Gastroenterology, Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. 2. Department of Gastroenterology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China. 3. Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China. 4. Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China. 5. Department of Chinese-Western Medicine Integrative Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China. 6. Department of Digestion, People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. 7. Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. 8. Department of Gastroenterology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. 9. Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. 10. Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital of Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China. 11. Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southwest Hospital of Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of gastroenterologists major in western medicine in diagnosing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome types of functional dyspepsia (FD), postprandial distress (PDS) and epigastric pain syndromes (EPS) based on the main symptoms, with that of traditional TCM practitioners in outpatient services. METHODS: Patients with PDS or EPS were enrolled in the study from six tertiary referral centers between January 2016 and December 2017. Their symptoms were first diagnosed by medical doctors, and then by the TCM practitioners. The diagnostic agreement between the gastroenterologists and the TCM practitioners was calculated. The patients' data and their types of FD syndrome were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: In total 160 patients, including 81 with PDS and 79 with EPS were enrolled. The total diagnostic consistency rate between the gastroenterologists and TCM practitioners was 86.3%, while that of PDS and EPS was 85.2% and 87.3%, respectively. The most common type of PDS diagnosed by TCM practitioners was liver-stomach disharmony syndrome (33.3%), spleen deficiency and qi-stagnation syndrome (33.3%), while that for EPS was liver-stomach disharmony syndrome (36.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Gastroenterologists had a high diagnostic agreement about the types of FD syndromes based on differential diagnosis of the main symptoms, compared with TCM practitioners. This may aid gastroenterologists in selecting Chinese medicine for FD-based on syndrome differentiation.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of gastroenterologists major in western medicine in diagnosing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome types of functional dyspepsia (FD), postprandial distress (PDS) and epigastric pain syndromes (EPS) based on the main symptoms, with that of traditional TCM practitioners in outpatient services. METHODS:Patients with PDS or EPS were enrolled in the study from six tertiary referral centers between January 2016 and December 2017. Their symptoms were first diagnosed by medical doctors, and then by the TCM practitioners. The diagnostic agreement between the gastroenterologists and the TCM practitioners was calculated. The patients' data and their types of FD syndrome were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: In total 160 patients, including 81 with PDS and 79 with EPS were enrolled. The total diagnostic consistency rate between the gastroenterologists and TCM practitioners was 86.3%, while that of PDS and EPS was 85.2% and 87.3%, respectively. The most common type of PDS diagnosed by TCM practitioners was liver-stomach disharmony syndrome (33.3%), spleen deficiency and qi-stagnation syndrome (33.3%), while that for EPS was liver-stomach disharmony syndrome (36.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Gastroenterologists had a high diagnostic agreement about the types of FD syndromes based on differential diagnosis of the main symptoms, compared with TCM practitioners. This may aid gastroenterologists in selecting Chinese medicine for FD-based on syndrome differentiation.