Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40612799›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in neurology2025

Effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbal acupoint application in adult patients with fever and mild-to-moderate COVID-19: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Yicheng Liu, Jiaheng Shi, Xinting Liu, Zongchen Jiang, Benliang Zou, Rui Zhang, Qiuyan Li, Peili Wang, Chenhao Zhang, Jia Wang and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

15 authors.

Yicheng LiuGuang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Jiaheng ShiGuang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Xinting LiuGuang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Zongchen JiangGuang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Benliang ZouNational Clinical Cardiovascular Disease Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Rui ZhangNational Clinical Cardiovascular Disease Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Qiuyan LiNational Clinical Cardiovascular Disease Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Peili WangNational Clinical Cardiovascular Disease Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Chenhao ZhangWangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Jia WangWangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Zhixi ZhangEye Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Jiao HuangEye Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Baojin HuaGuang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Luqi HuangInstitute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Wensheng QiGuang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Chinese herbal acupoint application (HAA) is recommended by certain guidelines for treating mild-to-moderate COVID-19; however, evidence supporting its effectiveness remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of HAA in adult patients with fever and mild-to-moderate COVID-19. Methods: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at six hospitals in China. Overall, 364 participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either the herbal or placebo acupoint application. All participants received applications at the Dazhui (GV14) and Feishu (BL13) acupoints three times daily for 2 h per application over 5 days and Results: Regarding the primary outcome, HAA significantly reduced complete fever relief time compared to placebo (31.75 vs. 52.00 h; Conclusion: Chinese herbal acupoint application effectively and safely shortened the complete fever relief time and onset time of fever reduction; alleviated clinical symptoms, particularly fever, headache, and cough; and reduced the need for antipyretic analgesics in adult patients with fever and mild-to-moderate COVID-19. Clinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=188270, identifier: ChiCTR2200067178.

Indexed as

acupoint applicationantipyretic effectCOVID-19relief symptomtraditional Chinese herbal

Identifiers

PMID40612799
PMCPMC12223423

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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.