Role of Supplementing Qi and Activating Blood in Preventing Relapse After Recovery of Community-acquired Pneumonia with Syndrome of Lung Deficiency and Collateral Stasis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

Community-acquired pneumonia （CAP） is a respiratory infection which takes a long time to fully recover after clinical symptoms are alleviated in the short term. It affects the physical health and quality of life of the patients in the long term and can occur repeatedly， which is related to inflammation， immunity， and the coagulation function. Lung Qi deficiency and collateral stasis are the key pathogenesis of CAP at the recovery stage. The development of CAP is accompanied by the decreased production and the increased consumption of Qi， which results in lung Qi deficiency. At the same time， heat pathogen forces the blood to move improperly， which depletes Qi and damages fluid， resulting in lung collateral stasis. Lung Qi deficiency and collateral stasis are causal and influence each other. The patients at the recovery stage of CAP generally present deficient lung Qi and healthy Qi， impaired immune function， and weakened defense function. However， pathogenic Qi， coagulation function changes， and thrombosis exist， and some coagulation factors are associated with the prognosis of CAP. The Chinese medicines for tonifying lung and supplementing Qi can help replenish healthy Qi， consolidate the body foundation， and regulate the inflammation. The Chinese medicines for activating blood and resolving stasis can dredge the lung collaterals， clear the pathogenic Qi， improve the microvascular circulation， and inhibit the inflammatory response. The Chinese medicines for supplementing Qi and activating blood can replenish healthy Qi and dispel pathogen to regulate immunity， inhibit inflammation， and alleviate the clinical symptoms， thus promoting the recovery from pneumonia. From lung Qi deficiency and collateral stasis， this paper summarizes the application and explains the scientific connotation of supplementing Qi and activating blood in preventing relapse after recovery of CAP， providing ideas for using this method to assist in preventing relapse after recovery of CAP.