Effect of combined therapy in treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease combined with phlegm turbidity and qi deficiency as well as blood stasis syndrome

  Objective  To investigate the clinical effect of Yiqi Huoxue Huatan Decoction combined with acupoint catgut embedding in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease combined with phlegm turbidity and qi deficiency as well as blood stasis syndrome.

  Methods  A total of 185 patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease combined with turbidity of phlegm as well as qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome were randomly divided into group A (conventional western medicine treatment), group B (conventional western medicine treatment combined with Yiqi Huoxue Huatan Decoction), group C (conventional western medicine treatment combined with acupoint catenary embedding) and group D (conventional western medicine treatment combined with Yiqi Huoxue Huatan Decoction and acupoint catenary embedding). TCM symptom score, forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV₁), forced vital capacity (FVC), ratio of FEV₁ to FVC (FEV₁/FVC) and clinical efficacy were compared among the four groups. The changes of inflammatory cytokine levelsinterleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and hemorheological indexeswhole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, plasma fibrinogen (FIB) were observed before and after treatment.

  Results  The scores of cough, expectoration, wheezing and chest tightness and total scores of TCM symptoms in the D group after treatment were significantly lower than those in the A group, B group and C group (P < 0.05). The FEV₁, FVC, FEV₁/FVC and the total effective rate of the D group after treatment were higher than those of the A group, B group and C group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The serum IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels and whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity and plasma fibrinogen (FIB) levels in the D group after treatment were lower than those in the A group, B group and C group (P < 0.05).

  Conclusion  Yiqi Huoxue Huatan Decoction combined with acupoint catgut embedding can significantly reduce the clinical symptoms and inflammatory reaction, improve lung function and hemorheology, and enhance clinical efficacy of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients combined with phlegm turbidity combined and qi deficiency as well as blood stasis syndrome.