European Journal of Integrative Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Xiao’ er Chiqiao Qingre Granule combined with azithromycin for treatment of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children: A systematic review and meta analysis of randomized controlled trials","authors":"Shuo Yang ,&nbsp;Xinying Liu ,&nbsp;Yaowei Han ,&nbsp;Dan Sun ,&nbsp;Huanmin Li ,&nbsp;Huizhe Wang ,&nbsp;Ziyu Wang ,&nbsp;Haokai Wang ,&nbsp;Yunzheng Mei ,&nbsp;Kunya Fu ,&nbsp;Xinmin Li","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102503","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102503","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>In Asia, the incidence of <em>Mycoplasma pneumoniae</em> pneumonia is high and continues to rise. Xiao’ er Chiqiao Qingre Granules (XECQQR) consist of various Chinese medicinals and exhibit broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. This review conducts a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of combining XECQQR with azithromycin in the treatment of MPP.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>As of February 21, 2025, a comprehensive search across nine databases was conducted, including CNKI, PubMed and others, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating XECQQR combined with azithromycin. Data were analyzed using Stata 14.0 and RevMan 5.4. The sources of evidence heterogeneity were explained by meta-regression and subgroup analysis. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool (ROB), and the certainty of evidence was graded via the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 26 RCTs involving 2626 patients were included. The combination of XECQQR and azithromycin was more effective than azithromycin alone, demonstrating higher efficacy rates and shorter times for the resolution of clinical symptoms and pulmonary signs. The combination therapy group exhibited significant reductions in response rate (RR = 1.17, 95 % CI [1.14, 1.21], low certainty evidence), disappearance time of fever (MD = -1.73 days, 95 % CI [-2.02, -1.44], very low certainty evidence), disappearance time of cough (MD = -2.65 days, 95 % CI [-3.08, -2.22], very low certainty evidence), and disappearance time of pulmonary rales (MD = -2.51 days, 95 % CI [-3.00, -2.02], very low certainty evidence). The combination therapy of XECQQR plus azithromycin demonstrated a significantly lower overall adverse event rate of 8.01 % (72/899) compared to 13.94 % (125/896) in the azithromycin monotherapy group (RR = 0.57, 95 % CI [0.44, 0.75], low certainty evidence).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Treatment with XECQQR combined with azithromycin may outperform azithromycin alone in alleviating clinical symptoms, pulmonary signs, reducing inflammatory response, and enhancing immune function. Furthermore, the combination therapy regimen demonstrates a favorable safety profile. Nevertheless, we anticipate the conduction of high-quality, large-scale, multicenter RCTs for confirmation and validation in the future.</div></div><div><h3>Review Registration</h3><div>PROSPERO CRD42023465734.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102503"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144322034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effectiveness of acupotomy combined with epidural steroid injection for lumbar radiculopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Sang-Hyun Lee ,&nbsp;Jin-Hyun Lee ,&nbsp;Hyeon-Kyu Choi ,&nbsp;Myeong-Soo Lee ,&nbsp;Sooil Choi ,&nbsp;Sukhee Park ,&nbsp;Hye-Jung Kim ,&nbsp;Young Il Kim ,&nbsp;Young Su Lim ,&nbsp;Tae-Yong Park","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102504","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102504","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Acupotomy—a combination of acupuncture and minimally invasive surgery—is a commonly used traditional East Asian medical intervention for treating patients with lumbar radiculopathy (LR). In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether a combination of acupotomy and epidural steroid injections (ESIs) was more effective than ESIs alone or ESIs with interventions other than acupotomy for LR patients.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which used acupotomy and ESIs in patients with LR, were retrieved from thirteen databases on June 10, 2024 (PROSPERO CRD42023435441). Included studies assessed outcomes using the pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), total effective rate (TER), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and adverse events (AEs). Cochrane’s Risk of Bias Tool 2 (RoB2) was employed to assess the risk of bias in the studies. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation tool was also used to assess the quality of the evidence.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Five studies involving 577 patients were included in this review. Compared with ESIs alone, a combination of acupotomy and ESIs led to improvement in pain VAS scores (three RCTs, standard mean difference [SMD] −0.73 [−1.01 to −0.45], very low certainty of evidence [CoE]) and TER (four RCTs, risk ratio 1.31 [1.02 to 1.69], very low CoE), although most studies were evaluated as <em>high risk</em> in the RoB2 evaluation. However, the combination showed no improvement in ODI (two RCTs, SMD 0.46 [−1.58 to 2.50], very low CoE). There were no major AEs.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Although the quality of the evidence was very low, combined acupotomy and ESIs proved more effective than ESIs alone for LR patients. Further rigorously designed studies are warranted to confirm the effects of combination therapy on LR patients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102504"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144331032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy of dry cupping on urinary incontinence in women: A randomized controlled clinical trial","authors":"Leila Ghanbaryan ,&nbsp;Meysam Shirzad ,&nbsp;Fatemeh Nejatbakhsh ,&nbsp;Mojgan Tansaz ,&nbsp;Malihe Tabarrai","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102497","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102497","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common condition that affects people of all ages worldwide and can lead to social isolation, low self-esteem, and depression if left untreated. The present randomized controlled clinical trial aimed to compare the efficacy of dry cupping and tolterodine in controlling UI in women.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study included a total of 73 women, 36 in the dry cupping group and 37 in the tolterodine group. During the six week intervention, the tolterodine group received 2 mg of tolterodine twice daily, while the dry cupping group underwent two sessions of dry cupping in the right and left lower quadrant area every week. The severity of UI and the quality of life of patients were evaluated using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire—Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-SF) and the Incontinence Quality of Life (IQOL) questionnaire at the beginning of the study, at weeks 3, 6, and 4 weeks after the end of the intervention (week 10).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results showed that UI symptoms improved significantly in the dry cupping group compared to the tolterodine group. According to ICIQ-SF, the effect of dry cupping on the total score (mean difference: -6.72, 95_% CI: -9.26 to -4.17), the frequency of urine leakage (mean difference: -1.52, 95_% CI: -2.18 to -0.85), and the quality of life (mean difference: -3.68, 95_% CI: -4.96 to -2.40) were significant throughout the study and the follow-up period, at week 10. No adverse events were reported.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Based on the results of the present study and considering the adverse events of the tolterodine use, dry cupping can be suggested as a therapeutic modality for women suffering from UI.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102497"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144312802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A case report of acupuncture as an alternative treatment for plantar fasciitis","authors":"Bifeng Fu ,&nbsp;Jiashan Li ,&nbsp;Aifeng Liu ,&nbsp;Yang Guo ,&nbsp;Tianyi Zhao ,&nbsp;Yuping Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102496","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102496","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Plantar fasciitis is a common degenerative disorder associated with sharp heel pain. Conventional treatment yields variable results, with inherent risks associated with these procedures. Acupuncture has been found to effectively alleviate pain and improve function in the management of plantar fasciitis; however, few studies have reported acupuncture as an alternative treatment. As such, this study describes acupuncture as an alternative treatment for managing plantar fasciitis-related pain through the stimulation of specific acupoints on the hand.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A 61-year-old woman with severe pain in the right heel was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. The patient underwent a 10-minute acupuncture treatment, involving stimulation of a specific acupoint known as “<em>zu gen tong dian</em>”.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>After treatment, the patient’s visual analog score decreased from 6/10 to 2/10. Gait analysis revealed improved foot stability. During a telephone follow-up 2 weeks later, the patient reported continued relief from pain symptoms. No adverse events were reported.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Acupuncture treatment at “<em>zu gen tong dian</em>” may be beneficial in managing plantar fasciitis-related pain in the short term.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102496"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144322035","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hotspots in Traditional Chinese Medicine for osteoporotic fracture treatment from 2014 to 2024: A bibliometric analysis","authors":"Zilan Zhong ,&nbsp;Jiarui Lin ,&nbsp;Wenqiu Wu ,&nbsp;Wenhao Feng ,&nbsp;Zhaowei Yuan ,&nbsp;Zixian Wu ,&nbsp;Jizhi Ma ,&nbsp;Hongze Wang ,&nbsp;Guibo Liang ,&nbsp;Weixing Xie ,&nbsp;Shaofeng Jian ,&nbsp;Bengen Zhou ,&nbsp;Xiang Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102492","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102492","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>The growing global aging population has led to an increase in osteoporotic fractures (OPF), drawing significant attention. Despite the growing body of research, bibliometric evaluations of traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and OPF are scarce. This study used bibliometric and visual analyses to track research trends, identify hotspots, and predict future frontiers at the intersection of OPF and TCM.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Bibliographic data were obtained from the Web of Science (WOS) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. The searches covered OPF and TCM publications from September 15, 2014, to September 15, 2024. Visual analyses of publication volume, countries, institutions, authors, journals, and keywords in this domain were conducted using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the Bibliometrix R Package.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>After screening, 314 WOS and 693 CNKI publications were selected for investigation. China led global OPF and TCM research with the most publications. Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine published the highest number of studies and played a central role in this field. Notable authors included Wei Xu, Jeong Seon-yong, Kim Jeonghyun, and Park Eunkuk. The WOS database had keywords including “osteoporosis (OP),” “fracture,” “bone-mineral density,” “postmenopausal women,” “differentiation,” “risk,” “bone,” and “osteoblast.” CNKI database terms included “OP,” “TCM,” “bone density,” “clinical efficacy,” and “bone metabolism.” Important clustering topics were “active ingredients,” “TCM,” “apoptosis,” “ovariectomized mice,” and “osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.”</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study conducted a bibliometric and visual analysis of the relationship between TCM and OPF, identifying promising research areas for treatment. As research progresses, TCM is attracting increasing attention from researchers studying OPF treatments. The integration of TCM theories has paved the way for their clinical application in science.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102492"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144517501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determinants and geographical variations in oral traditional Chinese medicine use among middle-aged and elderly chronic adults in China: A cross-sectional study","authors":"Lijun Mao ,&nbsp;Lei Si ,&nbsp;Hualing Song ,&nbsp;Jingjing Zhu ,&nbsp;Hailei Zhao ,&nbsp;Xianglong Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102495","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102495","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>As the population ages, the numerous middle-aged and older adults with chronic diseases strain healthcare resources and the economy. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has unique benefits in managing these conditions. We aimed to analyze the use and determinants of oral TCM among middle-aged and elderly adults with chronic diseases in China.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Data from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study included 13,791 participants aged ≥ 45 years with one of 12 predefined chronic diseases. Provincial units were used to analyze the current use of oral TCM. Logistic regression and machine learning algorithms were employed to identify determinants, with the optimal algorithm selected for variable importance analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In the 2018 wave, the prevalence of current oral TCM use among adults aged ≥ 45 years with chronic diseases in China was 26.84 % (95 % CI: [26.10 % - 27.58 %]), with the highest prevalence in the West (Qinghai) at 46.97 % (95 % CI: [38.46 % - 55.48 %]) and lowest in the East (Zhejiang) at 13.36 % (95 % CI: [10.49 % - 16.23 %]). Northern regions, such as Inner Mongolia (38.13 % (95 % CI: [34.52 % - 41.74 %])), also had high prevalence. Multivariate analysis showed that age, gender, education level, region, number of comorbidities, body pain, and local medical satisfaction were all statistically significant factors. Gradient boosting machine analysis additionally highlighted Communist Party of China membership, religious beliefs, residence, and depressive symptoms as important predictors.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Less than one-third of middle-aged and older adults with chronic diseases utilized oral TCM at the time of the survey, with regional variations: lower in the East, higher in the West, and marginally elevated in the North. Biological, psychological, social, policy, and political-ideological factors were associated with the use of TCM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102495"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144298193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acupuncture for chronic cancer pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Yuxian Li ,&nbsp;Bo Li ,&nbsp;Ying Cui ,&nbsp;Xinming Yang ,&nbsp;Sixuan Wang ,&nbsp;Xiangdong Wang ,&nbsp;Mingyue Li ,&nbsp;Yufeng Tu ,&nbsp;Anna Jing ,&nbsp;Yutong Zhou ,&nbsp;Mei Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102493","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102493","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Pain is highly prevalent among cancer patients. Cancer pain is classified as chronic cancer pain (<em>MG30.10</em>) and chronic post-cancer treatment pain (<em>MG30.11</em>) in the <em>International Classification of Diseases,</em> 11th Revision (<em>ICD-11</em>)<em>.</em> This research aims to ascertain the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treating chronic cancer pain (<em>MG30.10</em>).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Eight Chinese and English databases were systematically searched from their inception to December 31, 2024, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined the efficacy of acupuncture in combination with active treatments versus active treatment alone (identical to the treatment group), no treatment, or sham acupuncture for cancer pain management. The risk of bias was assessed using the version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (ROB 2.0), and data analysis was conducted utilizing RevMan 5.4 and Stata 17.0. Additionally, the quality of evidence was evaluated using the grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) approach.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 21 RCTs were included in the meta-analysis, involving 1432 patients. The meta-analysis revealed that compared to the control group, the treatment group exhibited significantly reduced Numeric Rating Scales (NRS) scores (mean difference (MD) = -0.93, 95 % confidence interval (CI) [-1.21, -0.64], P&lt;0.00001, low certainty), fewer burst pain events (MD = -2.13, 95 % CI [-2.86, -1.39], P &lt; 0.00001, low certainty), reduced analgesic consumption (standard mean difference (SMD) =-0.60, 95 % CI [-0.84, -0.37], P&lt;0.00001, moderate certainty), improved quality of life (MD =6.37, 95 % CI [3.21, 9.54], P&lt;0.0001, low certainty), and diminished side effects of taking analgesics, with no serious adverse effects of acupuncture treatment.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The integration of acupuncture with analgesic drugs has demonstrated considerable potential to significantly mitigate pain and ameliorate adverse effects of analgesics in patients with chronic cancer pain (<em>MG30.11</em>). However, further high-quality RCTs are required to elucidate the efficacy of acupuncture in cancer pain management and optimize treatment protocols.</div></div><div><h3>Registration</h3><div>CRD42024550206</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102493"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144229601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysis of clinical characteristics and predictive factors in patients with gout caused by different traditional Chinese medicine syndromes: A cross-sectional study","authors":"Dan Xu ,&nbsp;Juxi Jiang ,&nbsp;Tingting Chen ,&nbsp;Junyi Wang ,&nbsp;Lin Feng ,&nbsp;Weizhong Chen ,&nbsp;Wantai Dang","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102491","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102491","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>This study aimed to analyse the clinical characteristics and predictive factors of patients with gout caused by different traditional Chinese medicine syndromes.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A total of 1658 patients with gout who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College between 2019 and January 2022 were included in this study. The patients with gout were primarily categorized into four subtypes, namely, patients with obstruction of dampness and heat syndrome (ODHS), patients with intermingled phlegm blood stasis syndrome (IPBSS), patients with Pi (Spleen)-deficiency induced dampness syndrome (PDIDS), and patients with qi-blood deficiency syndrome (QBDS). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to identify biomarkers that contribute to the TCM syndrome classification, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the predictive value of the model. Decision curve analysis (DCA) curves were employed for visual risk prediction of the clinical and column line models.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>RBC, HGB, LY, HCT, MCHC, TP, ALB, BUN, CREA, URIC, CysC, LDL-C, LP-A, Hcy, and age of patients with gout differed significantly among the different TCM syndrome types (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The AUCs(95%CI) of the PDIDS, QBDS, ODHS, and IPBSS groups in the training set were: 0.546 (0.493, 0.598), 0.624 (0.565, 0.682), 0.569 (0.518, 0.621), and 0.559 (0.480, 0.637), respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>On the basis of the clinical experimental indicators of patients with gout, this study established four prediction models of TCM syndrome types. These models provide a basis for further research into the mechanism underlying TCM syndrome and the clinical diagnosis and treatment of gout in the subsequent stage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102491"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144177477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A pilot study exploring the feasibility of homeopathic treatment for children with hearing loss in Kenya","authors":"J Sherr ,&nbsp;J Davy ,&nbsp;P Fibert","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102487","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102487","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Severe hearing impairment has a significant impact on children’s safety, ability to learn, socialise, and subsequently earn a living, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where there is little conventional treatment, and rates are greater than high-income countries and growing. Small improvements in hearing can improve quality of life and safety. Prior treatment of deaf students by Homeopathy for Health in Africa suggested homeopathic treatment may be associated with increased hearing. This pilot study aims to assess the feasibility of conducting a fully powered study of the effectiveness of homeopathic treatment for children with severe hearing impairment.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>At a school for the deaf in Kenya, parents of children with impaired hearing were offered homeopathic treatment for their children for up to 9 months. Feasibility considerations were the cost, safety, tolerability and deliverability of treatment; recruitment; study design and outcome measurement (suitability, sensitivity, reliability, acceptability). Outcomes measured were: hearing level change via audiometric testing (decibel (dB) measurements at baseline (average of two baseline scores) and 9 months compared at each frequency); qualitative reports by teacher and student, voice and hearing tests.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Forty-one children with impaired hearing and parental approval received homeopathic treatment for up to nine months and completed baseline and nine-month tests, but eight were unable to comply with audiology testing due to learning difficulties. Increase in hearing was registered in 73 %, with nine students (39 %) registering changes at several frequencies, corroborated by student and teacher reports and/or voice/speech tests. Some modification of the trial design is needed: prolonged school absences require treatment and testing flexibility; audiology testing challenges necessitate use of and comparison with other outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>To build on these results, robust, larger scale studies incorporating randomisation (possibly at school level), a comparator (no treatment), and blinding (of outcome assessment) are now needed. Measurement of change in important real-life aspects such as injury incidence, academic ability and quality of life are recommended.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102487"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144204694","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Tanreqing injection in ventilator-associated pneumonia: A systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Qing Wang ,&nbsp;Cuiwang Liu ,&nbsp;Bofei Shu ,&nbsp;Zhaohui Ding ,&nbsp;Jun He ,&nbsp;Musheng Tu ,&nbsp;Liling Wan","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102490","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102490","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), a prevalent complication of mechanical ventilation, severely impacts patients' quality of life and increases mortality. This systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of Tanreqing injection—an injectable herbal preparation with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties—as an adjunctive therapy for VAP.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We searched seven databases up to October 6, 2024, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Tanreqing injection plus routine treatment versus routine treatment alone for treating VAP. Two reviewers independently performed literature screening and data extraction. The risk of bias of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2. Effects were measured using risk ratios (RRs) or mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Twenty-two RCTs involving 1,536 patients were included (7, 12, and 3 RCTs with low, moderate, and high risk of bias, respectively). Compared with the control, Tanreqing injection significantly reduced the duration of mechanical ventilation (MD −1.72 d, CIs −2.32 to −1.13), mortality (RR 0.34, CIs 0.15 to 0.78), response rate to treatment (RR 1.19, CIs 1.12 to 1.26), white blood cell count (MD −2.14 × 10⁹/L, CIs −2.89 to −1.39), procalcitonin level (MD −0.42 ng/mL, CIs −0.68 to −0.15), C-reactive protein level (MD −15.51 mg/L, CIs −20.68 to −10.35), duration of antibiotic use (MD −3.67 d, CIs −5.43 to −1.90), and length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay (MD: −3.68 d, CIs −5.26 to −2.09). No adverse events related to Tanreqing injection were reported.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Tanreqing injection, when used as an adjuvant therapy to the routine treatment of VAP, can reduce mechanical ventilation duration, antibiotic use, length of ICU stay, mortality, and inflammation indicator levels. More well-designed RCTs are needed to corroborate these findings because of the ​moderate-to-high risk of bias among the included RCTs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102490"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144184788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}