ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound global impact, although the majority of recently infected cases have presented with mild to moderate symptoms. Previous clinical studies have demonstrated that Shufeng Jiedu (SFJD) capsule, a Chinese herbal patent medicine, effectively alleviates symptoms associated with the common cold, H1N1 influenza, and COVID-19. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of SFJD capsules in managing symptoms of mild to moderate COVID-19 infection. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted from May to December 2022 at two hospitals in China. Mild and moderate COVID-19-infected patients presenting respiratory symptoms within 3 days from onset were randomly assigned to either the SFJD or placebo groups in a 1:1 ratio. Individuals received SFJD capsules or a placebo three times daily for five consecutive days. Participants were followed up for more than 14 days after their RT-PCR nucleoid acid test for SARS-CoV-2 turned negative. The primary outcome measure was time to alleviate COVID-19 symptoms from baseline until the end of follow-up. Results: A total of 478 participants were screened; ultimately, 407 completed the trial after randomization (SFJD, n = 203; placebo, n = 204). No statistically significant difference in baseline parameters was observed between the two groups. The median time to alleviate all symptoms was 7 days in the SFJD group compared to 8 days in the placebo group (p = 0.037). Notably, the SFJD group significantly attenuated fever/chills (p = 0.04) and headache (p = 0.016) compared to the placebo group. Furthermore, the median time taken to reach normal body temperature within 24 h was reduced by 7 hours in the SFJD group compared to the placebo group (p = 0.033). No deaths or instances of serious or critical conditions occurred during this trial period; moreover, no serious adverse events were reported. Conclusion: The trial was conducted in a unique controlled hospital setting, and the 5-day treatment with SFJD capsules resulted in a 1-day reduction in overall symptoms, particularly headache and fever/chills, among COVID-19-infected participants with mild or moderate symptoms. Compared to placebo, SFJD capsules were found to be safe with fewer side effects. SFJD capsules could potentially serve as an effective treatment for alleviating mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19. Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.isrctn.com/, identifier ISRCTN14236594.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the peri-operative risk factors of mortality in patients with aortic dissection (AD). METHODS: Between January 2003 and June 2008, 361 AD patients at our hospital were enrolled. Their demographics, history, clinical characteristics and laboratory examinations were retrospectively analyzed. Twenty pre-operative variables were analyzed to identify the predictors of perioperative mortality of AD patients by the analyses of univariate and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The analysis of univariate logistic regression showed that history of hypertension [odds ratio (OR) 0.465, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.229 - 0.947, P = 0.035], Stanford type A (OR 2.758, 95%CI 1.054 - 7.213 P = 0.039), acute course (OR 7.897, 95%CI 1.874 - 33.275 P = 0.005), neurological symptoms (OR 0.275, 95%CI 0.140 - 0.541, P < 0.001) and operation or not (OR 8.206, 95%CI 4.205 - 16.012, P < 0.001) had a higher mortality in AD patients. The multivariate analysis revealed that acute course (OR 8.178, 95%CI 1.796 - 37.242, P = 0.007), Stanford type A (OR 3.236, 95%CI 1.104-9.487 P = 0.032), neurological symptoms (OR 0.350, 95%CI 0.159 - 0.770, P = 0.009) and operation or not (OR 9.429, 95%CI 4.456 - 19.952, P < 0.001) were significant independent predictors of perioperative mortality in AD patients. CONCLUSION: History of hypertension, acute course, Stanford A and positive neurological symptoms are the independent predictors of perioperative mortality in AD patients. Operation or not is a determinant of patient outcome.
