Clinical Evaluation Of Yongquan Acupoints For The Treatment Of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis In Susceptible Population

Purpose:We choose the patients with the susceptible constitution(Yang deficiency constitution) of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF) to be our subjects and to observe and assess the clinical effect of Yongquan acupoint sticking cataplasm treating IPF which is made based on “the theory of collateral disease”in the third nine-day period.Material and method:According to the diagnostic criteria in the “diagnosis and treatment guidelines of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(draft)”issued by Chinese medical association of respiratory diseases in 2002 and the constitution classification method in the “constitution of Traditional Chinese Medicine”,we choose 40 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in their non-acute attack period, using the method of before and after self-control, and gave the patients Yongquan acupoint sticking cataplasm for the third nine-day period after the winter solstice(a month). We observed and compared the results of the symptom score, pulmonary function(TLC%、VC%、DLco%), analysis of arterial blood gas(Pa O2、Sa O2、Pa CO2) and 6-minute-walking-test(6-MWT) before and after the acupoint sticking. And the results were analyzed by SPSS 17.0 software.Results: 1.The symptom score: the patients all have the lower symptom scores after the treatment and the results have a statistical meaning(P<0.05).2. Pulmonary function: After the acupoint sticking, DLco% was increased and the difference has a statistical meaning(P<0.05) compared to the before treatment. The TLC% and VC% had no significant change(P>0.05).3.Analysis of arterial blood gas: After the acupoint sticking, Pa O2 had increased and the improvement had a statistical meaning(P<0.05). Sa O2 had increased and the improvement had a statistical meaning(P<0.05). Pa CO2 had decreased and the difference had a statistical meaning(P<0.05).4.6-minute-walking-test: The distance of the 6 minutes walk had increased after the treatment, and the improvement had a statistical meaning(P<0.05).Conclusion:Yongquan acupoint sticking therapy can improve the clinical symptoms of patients with IPF, and let patients have better subjective feelings. The therapy can also increase DLco%, although has no significant effect on TLC% and VC%, it can delay the decline of both. Pa O2 and Sa O2 can be increased, and Pa CO2 can be decreased by this therapy, so the hypoxia can be relieved. And the therapy can increase the distance of the 6 minutes walk, so to some extent it can improve the quality of life of patients with IPF.