ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the efficacy of integrative Chinese and western medicine (ICWM) in treating diabetic foot.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-three patients were randomly divided into the treated group (n = 33) and the control group (n = 30). Both groups were treated by same baseline treatment with vasodilator, anti-agglutination agents and external treatment, to the treated group, Chinese drugs were given additionally according to the Syndrome Differentiation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the treated group, the treatment showed markedly effective in 12 patients, effective in 18 and ineffective in 3, the total effective rate being 90.0%, while in the control group, the corresponding numbers were 9, 14, 7 and 76.7%, comparison between the two groups showed significant difference (chi 2 = 15.8, P < 0.05). The case number of Grade II, III and IV in the treated group reduced, and those recovered to Grade 0 increased, as compared with those in the control group, the difference was significant (P < 0.05). Patients with healing of ulcerative wound and fresh wound granulation in the treated group, as compared with those in the control group, the difference was significant (P < 0.05). Levels of fasting blood glucose and blood glucose 2 hrs after meal were all improved in both groups, which showed significant difference as compared with those before treatment (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The efficacy of ICWM treatment in treating diabetic foot was better than the treatment of western medicine alone.</p>