Application of Chinese Medicine in the Management of Critical Conditions: A Review on Sepsis.
Am J Chin Med
; 48(6): 1315-1330, 2020.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1243726
ABSTRACT
Critical care medicine is a medical specialty engaging the diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients who have or are likely to have life-threatening organ failure. Sepsis, a life-threatening condition that arises when the body responds to infection, is currently the major cause of death in intensive care units (ICU). Although progress has been made in understanding the pathophysiology of sepsis, many drawbacks in sepsis treatment remains unresolved. For example, antimicrobial resistance, controversial of glucocorticoids use, prolonged duration of ICU care and the subsequent high cost of the treatment. Recent years have witnessed a growing trend of applying traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in sepsis management. The TCM application emphasizes use of herbal formulation to balance immune responses to infection, which include clearing heat and toxin, promoting blood circulation and removing its stasis, enhancing gastrointestinal function, and strengthening body resistance. In this paper, we will provide an overview of the current status of Chinese herbal formulations, single herbs, and isolated compounds, as an add-on therapy to the standard Western treatment in the sepsis management. With the current trajectory of worldwide pandemic eruption of newly identified Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19), the adjuvant TCM therapy can be used in the ICU to treat critically ill patients infected with the novel coronavirus.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Drugs, Chinese Herbal
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Sepsis
/
Immunologic Factors
/
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
/
Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Topics:
Traditional medicine
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Am J Chin Med
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
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