Clinical research of Qingfei-Xiaoyan Decoction combined with conventional western medicine in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of Qingfei-Xiaoyan Decoction combined with conventional western medicine in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods Eighty-two patients with acute exacerbation of COPD were selected in Bozhou People's Hospital from January 2017 to June 2018 and randomly divided into a control group and a treatment group (41 in each group) using randomized number table method. Patients in the control group were treated with conventional western medicine and those in the treatment group with Qingfei-Xiaoyan Decoction on the basis of the control group for 2 weeks. Dyspnea of patients was evaluated with the modified British Medical Research Council dyspnea questionnaire (mMRC). Impact of the disease was measured with the COPD Assessment Test (CAT). The serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) were measured by ELISA. Results The total efficacy rate in trementat group 95.1% (39/41) was significantly higher than that in the control group 73.2% (30/41) (χ2=4.999, P=0.025). After the treatment, the scores of mMRC (0.63 ± 0.07 vs. 0.95 ± 0.12; t=7.921, P<0.01) and CAT (9.18 ± 0.12 vs. 14.01 ± 1.56; t=11.359, P<0.01) in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group. After the treatment, the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) percentage predicted (51.05% ± 5.63% vs. 45.77% ± 5.31%; t=10.453, P<0.01) and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) (59.15 ± 6.44 vs. 54.24 ± 6.02; t=5.621, P<0.01) in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group. After the treatment, the serum levels of CRP (8.06 ± 0.87 mg/L vs. 10.55 ± 1.21 mg/L; t=10.216, P<0.01) and PCT (4.20 ± 0.48 μg/L vs. 6.33 ± 0.69 μg/L; t=7.004, P<0.01) in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group. Conclusions Qingfei-Xiaoyan Decoction can inhibite inflammation, improve symptoms and lung function, increase the efficacy in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD. Key words: Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Qingfei-Xiaoyan Decoction; Procalcitonin; C-Reactive protein; Integrated Chinese traditional and western medicine therapy