Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25329481›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2014

Chinese proprietary herbal medicine listed in 'China national essential drug list' for common cold: a systematic literature review.

Wei Chen, George Lewith, Li-qiong Wang, Jun Ren, Wen-jing Xiong, Fang Lu, Jian-ping Liu

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Guideline
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Wei ChenCentre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
George LewithPrimary care and population Sciences, Medical School, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
Li-qiong WangCentre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Jun RenCentre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Wen-jing XiongCentre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Fang LuCentre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Jian-ping LiuCentre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Beijing University of Chinese Medicine · CNUniversity of Southampton · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveChinese proprietary herbal medicines (CPHMs) have long history in China for the treatment of common cold, and lots of them have been listed in the 'China national essential drug list' by the Chinese Ministry of Health. The aim of this review is to provide a well-round clinical evidence assessment on the potential benefits and harms of CPHMs for common cold based on a systematic literature search to justify their clinical use and recommendation.

methodsWe searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, SinoMed, CNKI, VIP, China Important Conference Papers Database, China Dissertation Database, and online clinical trial registry websites from their inception to 31 March 2013 for clinical studies of CPHMs listed in the 'China national essential drug list' for common cold. There was no restriction on study design.

resultsA total of 33 CPHMs were listed in 'China national essential drug list 2012' for the treatment of common cold but only 7 had supportive clinical evidences. A total of 6 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and 7 case series (CSs) were included; no other study design was identified. All studies were conducted in China and published in Chinese between 1995 and 2012. All included studies had poor study design and methodological quality, and were graded as very low quality.

conclusionsThe use of CPHMs for common cold is not supported by robust evidence. Further rigorous well designed placebo-controlled, randomized trials are needed to substantiate the clinical claims made for CPHMs.

Indexed as

Databases, PharmaceuticalHerbal MedicineMedicine, Chinese TraditionalChinaCommon ColdDrugs, Chinese HerbalHumansMEDLINEDrugs, Chinese Herbal

Identifiers

PMID25329481
PMCPMC4203808
OpenAlexW2027279642

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.