Primary Study On The Syndrome Distribution Of TCM Of Cough Post Infection

BackgroundCough post infection(CPI) is a clinically familiar disease and frequently encountered disease, accounting for about 6%-10%of chronic cough cases reports. Among the patients with a history of upper respiratory infection, approximately 11%-25%would suffer cough post infection, and in the prevalence seasons the number could reach up to 25%-50%. CPI is always characterized by its long course and difficulty to recover, which would seriously lower the patients'life quality. Due to the above reasons, CPI is becoming a widely concerned public health problem in nowadays, and it is urgent to find an effective therapy.In recent years, significant progress of syndrome differentiation and treatment on CPI has been achieved by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), revealing the advancements of TCM in treating CPI. However, as far as the current research situations are concerned, there is a lack of commonly agreed standardization and recognition of the syndrome differentiation of CPI. So far, no study conducted by epidemiological methods on syndrome differentiation of CPI has been reported.ObjectiveBy carrying on questionnaires to the patients with CPI, to describe the syndrome distribution of TCM; the distribution of syndrome and diagnostic criteria are explored by statistical analysis. Through the above measures, set foundation for the later large sample and multicentric study. MethodsThe TCM syndrome clinical questionnaire is designed according to the literature investigation, expert consultation and revision on feedback message of preliminary investigation. With the method of questionnaire interview in social medicine, we conducted the syndrome investigation to the 86 out-patients who were included in the research in our hospital during Feb. 2009 to Feb.2010, and the syndrome questionnaires were filled by the investigators. At last the date base was established with SPSS13.0 statistical package, and by using the descriptive analysis methods, combined with the opinions of TCM clinical experts, we analyzed and induced the syndrome distribution characteristics of CPI, and established its basic syndrome and corresponding diagnostic criteria.ResultsWith epidemiological principle and mathematical methods, combined with clinical recognition and the opinions of TCM experts, it is considered reasonable that the 86 subjects of CPI included in this research classified into 5 types:wind-cold fettering the lung were 27 cases (31.4%),wind and heat invasion of lung were 22 cases (25.6%), dryness-heat invading the lung were 16 cases (18.6%), wind dryness invading the lung were 11 cases (12.8%), and pathogen-wind clinging to lung were 10 cases (11.6%). The diagnostic criteria of each syndrome are:①wind-cold fettering the lung:cough, muddy sound, sputum tenuity, white sputum, pharynx itching, aversion to wind and cold, bland taste in the mouth and no thirst, weary body, headache, absence of sweating, pelvic bone soreness, poor appetite, pink tongue, thin and white tongue fur, floating and tight pulses or string tight pulses;②wind and heat invasion of lung:cough, sore throat, yellow sputum, ropiness sputum, thirsty desiring for cool drink, bitter taste of mouth, headache, hoarseness, aversion to wind, spontaneous perspiration, chest pain, red tongue, tongue fur is thin white or thin yellow, pulses are string quick or thin quick;③dryness-heat invading the lung:cough, sound of very short duration, rare sputum, sore throat due to severe cough, white sputum, ropiness sputum, thirsty desiring for drink, night sweat, heat in the palms and soles, tidal fever, hoarseness, red tongue or dank red tongue, dry white fur or thin yellow fur, pulses are thin quick or string thin;④wind dryness invading the lung:cough, cough sound insignificancy, short breath, tenuity sputum, pharynx itching, white sputum, excessive phlegm, aversion to wind, chilly, bland taste in the mouth, dizziness, spontaneous perspiration, tiredness, bright pale complexion, poor appetite, noncoagulative stools, pole tongue, thin and white fur, extenuate pulses;⑤pathogen-wind clinging to lung:cough, pharynx itching, white sputum, sputum tenuity, aversion to wind, nasal obstruction, spontaneous perspiration, bland taste in the mouth, tiredness, dry mouth, poor appetite, pink tongue, thin and white tongue fur, floating and slow pulses.ConclusionsThe clinical TCM syndromes of CPI are mainly the following:wind-cold fettering the lung, wind and heat invasion of lung, dryness-heat invading the lung, wind dryness invading the lung and pathogen-wind clinging to lung. Among these types, wind-cold fettering the lung and wind and heat invasion of lung are the most popular types, dryness-heat invading the lung, wind dryness invading the lung and pathogen-wind clinging to lung syndrome were also very common. To some extent the research has revealed the characteristics of TCM syndromes distribution of CPI, which will benefit the normalization of syndrome differentiation and standardization of diagnosis and treatment. Also, it will be the foundation for the further research on TCM syndrome distribution of CPI.