ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the efficacy of Kechuanning combined with western medicine on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) and its effects on serum amyloid A, interleukin 1β and procalcitonin levels. Methods:A total of 104 patients with AECOPD who received treatment in Yongkang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2019 to December 2020 were included in this study. They were randomly assigned to receive either symptomatic treatment with western medicine alone ( n = 52, control group) or symptomatic treatment with western medicine combined with Kechuanning ( n = 52, observation group). Therapeutic effects, latency to clinical symptom relief, pre- and post-treatment pulmonary function, serum inflammatory factor levels, and blood gas analysis indexes were compared between the two groups. Results:Total response rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [86.54% (45/52) vs. 67.31%(35/52), χ2 = 4.99, P < 0.05]. Latency to rale disappearance, latency to cough disappearance, length of hospital stay in the observation group were (8.25 ± 1.38) days, (10.05 ± 1.53) days, and (12.65 ± 2.28) days, which were significantly shorter than those in the control group [(9.41 ± 1.46) days, (12.19 ± 1.61) days, (14.36 ± 2.14) days, t = 4.16, 6.98, 3.61, all P < 0.05]. After treatment, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV 1), and FEV 1/FVC value in the observation group were (1.88 ± 0.5) L, (64.13 ± 5.72)%pred, (59.43 ± 5.57)%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group [(1.65 ± 0.51) L, (60.22 ± 5.60)% pred, (54.16 ± 5.19)%, t = 2.17, 3.52, 4.99, all P < 0.05]. Arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO 2) and blood oxygen saturation (SpO 2) in the observation group were (9.18 ± 0.89) kPa and (96.26 ± 2.13)%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group [(8.74 ± 0.76) kPa, (94.07 ± 2.08)%, t = 2.71, 5.305, both P < 0.05]. Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO 2) in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group [(7.32 ± 0.27) kPa vs. (7.63 ± 0.32) kPa, t = 5.34, P < 0.05]. Serum amyloid protein, interleukin-1β and procalcitonin levels in the observation group were (43.84 ± 6.15) mg/L, (3.24 ± 0.51) μg/L, (1.55 ± 0.37) ng/L, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the control group [(55.26 ± 3.46) mg/L, (4.19 ± 0.56) μg/L, (2.03 ± 0.46) ng/L, t = 9.23, 9.04, 5.86, all P < 0.05]. Conclusion:Kechuanning as an adjuvant therapy for AECOPD can greatly improve lung function and hypoxia, alleviate clinical symptoms, reduce inflammatory reactions, and have a definite clinical effect. The study is innovative and scientific and is worthy of clinical reference.