Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34091029›Full record

SynthesisComplementary therapies in medicine2021

Therapeutic effects and safety of oral Chinese patent medicine for COVID-19: A rapid systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Shi-Bing Liang, Min Fang, Chang-Hao Liang, Hui-Di Lan, Chen Shen, Li-Jiao Yan, Xiao-Yang Hu, Mei Han, Nicola Robinson, Jian-Ping Liu

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Complementary therapies in medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
7.8field-weighted citation impact, top 2% 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

21 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Herbal medicine for COVID-19: An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analysis.Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology · 2022
    Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Observational
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Efficacy of Kan JangPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023
    Article
  11. Review
  12. Challenges in phytotherapy research.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2023
    Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Review
  18. Review
  19. Review
  20. Review
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

10 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Shi-Bing LiangCentre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China. Electronic address: zyi20126185@163.com.
Min FangCentre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China. Electronic address: fangmin353@163.com.
Chang-Hao LiangCentre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China. Electronic address: changhaoliang@bucm.edu.cn.
Hui-Di LanCentre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China; Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Guangxi, 530000, China. Electronic address: lhd6572@126.com.
Chen ShenCentre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China. Electronic address: shenchensophia@bucm.edu.cn.
Li-Jiao YanCentre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China. Electronic address: 201650005@bucm.edu.cn.
Xiao-Yang HuPrimary Care and Population Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, SO16 5ST, United Kingdom; Research Design Service South Central, National Institute of Health Research, SO16 6YD, United Kingdom. Electronic address: x.hu@soton.ac.uk.
Mei HanCentre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China. Electronic address: hanmeizoujin@163.com.
Nicola RobinsonCentre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China; Institute of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University, London, SE1 0AA, United Kingdom. Electronic address: nicky.robinson@lsbu.ac.uk.
Jian-Ping LiuCentre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China; Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China. Electronic address: Liujp@bucm.edu.cn.
Beijing University of Chinese Medicine · CNGuangxi University · CNGuangzhou University of Chinese Medicine · CNNational Institute for Health Research · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionChinese patent medicine (CPM) is an indispensable part of traditional Chinese medicine. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) manifests is an acute respiratory infectious disease. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects and safety of oral CPM for COVID-19.

methodsWe included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that tested oral CPM for the treatment of COVID-19 identified from publications in CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Web of Science, SinoMed, PubMed, Embase, BioRxiv, MedRxiv and arXiv before November 2nd, 2020. The risk of bias for each trial was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2.0. RevMan 5.4 software was used for data analyses. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using the online GRADEpro tool.

resultsSeven RCTs including 1079 participants were identified. The overall bias was assessed as "-high risk of bias" for all included trials. Oral CPM investigated were: Lianhua Qingwen capsule/granules (LHQW), Jinhua Qinggan granules (JHQG), Huoxiang Zhengqi dripping pills (HXZQ), Toujie Quwen granules (TJQW) and Lianhua Qingke granules (LHQK). Compared with conventional western therapy alone for people with COVID-19: regarding the main outcomes, the results showed that oral CPM combined with conventional western therapy improved cure rate (RR = 1.20, 95 % CI 1.04-1.38, involving LHQW and TJQW), reduced aggravation rate (RR = 0.50, 95 % CI 0.29 - 0.85, involving LHQW, JHQG, LHQK and TJQW); with regard to additional outcomes, the results showed that add-on oral CPM shortened the duration of fever, cough and fatigue, improved the recovery rate of cough and fatigue, and increased the improvement and recovery rate of chest CT manifestations. There were some differences in therapeutic effects among various CPMs for the same COVID-19 outcome. The use of TJQW and LHQG appeared not to increase the risk of adverse events, but JHQG may cause mild diarrhea.

conclusionLow-certainty or very low-certainty evidence demonstrated that oral CPM may have add-on potential therapeutic effects for patients with non-serious COVID-19. These findings need to be further confirmed by well-designed clinical trials with adequate sample sizes.

Indexed as

Medicine, Chinese TraditionalRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSARS-CoV-2Administration, OralBiasCOVID-19Drugs, Chinese HerbalHumansNonprescription DrugsDrugs, Chinese HerbalHuoxiang-zhengqijinhua qinggan granuleslianhuaqingwenNonprescription DrugsChinese herbal medicineChinese patent medicineCoronavirus Disease 2019COVID-19Meta-analysisSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID34091029
PMCPMC8180349
OpenAlexW3166681740

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.