Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: Chinese medicinal herbal therapy of acute bronchitis, which consistently ranks as one of the top 10 diagnoses for which patients seek medical care, is one of the most common prescriptions of Chinese clinicians. Objectives
The objective of this review was to assess the effects of Chinese medicinal herbs for patients with a clinical diagnosis of acute bronchitis.
Search Strategy We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Chinese BioMedical Database (CBMD), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, reference lists of articles and the authors personal collections up to 2003.
Selection Criteria Randomised controlled trials comparing Chinese medicinal herbs with Western medicine C or comparing Integrated Chinese and western medicine (ICWM) with western medicine in acute bronchitis.
Data collection and analysis Two reviewers extracted data and assessed trial quality independently. Authors were contacted for missing data.
Results: Seventeen trials involving over 3300 patients were included in the primary analysis. The quality of the trials was variable. Overall, patients receiving Chinese medicinal herbs (CM) or Integrated Chinese and western medicine (ICWM) had better outcomes than did those receiving Western medicine (WM). More patients with CM were marked improvement than those with WM in main symptoms (relative risk 1.78, 95% confidence interval 1.48 to 2.15). And more patients with ICWM were marked improvement than those with WM (RR 1.42, CI 1.25 to 1.61). Less patients with CM were ineffective than those with WM (RR 0.27, CI 0.20 to 1.38), and less patients with ICWM were ineffective than those with WM (RR 0.32, CI0.23 to 0.44). There were no significant differences between CM and WM in rate of recovery, or in general improvement. And there were no significant differences between ICWM and WM in rate of recovery, or in general improvement. One patient treated with eShuang Huang Lian f injection and penicillin appeared skin rush. And no other adverse events were reported.
Conclusions: Overall, both Chinese medicinal herbs and Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine appear to be of more benefit to patients who are diagnosed with acute bronchitis.
The objective of this review was to assess the effects of Chinese medicinal herbs for patients with a clinical diagnosis of acute bronchitis.
Search Strategy We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Chinese BioMedical Database (CBMD), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, reference lists of articles and the authors personal collections up to 2003.
Selection Criteria Randomised controlled trials comparing Chinese medicinal herbs with Western medicine C or comparing Integrated Chinese and western medicine (ICWM) with western medicine in acute bronchitis.
Data collection and analysis Two reviewers extracted data and assessed trial quality independently. Authors were contacted for missing data.
Results: Seventeen trials involving over 3300 patients were included in the primary analysis. The quality of the trials was variable. Overall, patients receiving Chinese medicinal herbs (CM) or Integrated Chinese and western medicine (ICWM) had better outcomes than did those receiving Western medicine (WM). More patients with CM were marked improvement than those with WM in main symptoms (relative risk 1.78, 95% confidence interval 1.48 to 2.15). And more patients with ICWM were marked improvement than those with WM (RR 1.42, CI 1.25 to 1.61). Less patients with CM were ineffective than those with WM (RR 0.27, CI 0.20 to 1.38), and less patients with ICWM were ineffective than those with WM (RR 0.32, CI0.23 to 0.44). There were no significant differences between CM and WM in rate of recovery, or in general improvement. And there were no significant differences between ICWM and WM in rate of recovery, or in general improvement. One patient treated with eShuang Huang Lian f injection and penicillin appeared skin rush. And no other adverse events were reported.
Conclusions: Overall, both Chinese medicinal herbs and Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine appear to be of more benefit to patients who are diagnosed with acute bronchitis.