[Clinical observation of the role of Chenxia Sijunzi decoction in promoting the recovery of gastrointestinal function in critically ill patients].

OBJECTIVE To observe the clinical effects of Chenxia Sijunzi decoction on promoting gastrointestinal function recovery in severe patients. METHODS A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted. Eighty severe patients feeding with enteral nutrition from September 2011 to March 2012 were divided into three groups according to the method of random number table. The traditional Chinese medicine group and western medicine group were consisted of 35 cases respectively, and 10 cases were control group. Control group was routine symptomatically treated without any medicines for promoting gastrointestinal power function, helping the lower extremities to move and enhancing the turn over, letting the gastrointestinal function recover by its self. Chinese medicine group was tube fed with Chenxia Sijunzi decoction on the basis of control group, western medicine group was tube fed with the multienzyme tablets and mosapride dispersible tablets on the basis of control group. Then the differences in bowel sound recovery time and the time for passage of gas by anus and the bowel movement time and length of stay in hospitals within three groups were observed. RESULTS The time of bowel sound recovery (41.02±7.52 hours, 44.02±6.23 hours), gas passage time by anus (49.90±6.95 hours, 51.32±5.12 hours) and the bowel movement time (58.22±6.71 hours, 60.91±3.72 hours) in both traditional Chinese medicine and the western medicine group were significantly reduced compared with the control group (54.62±5.51 hours, 64.68±9.47 hours, 78.20±7.11 hours, all P<0.01), and the days in hospital (5.1±1.7 days, 5.0±1.5 days) were shortened significantly compared with the control group (8.9±1.4 days, both P<0.01). However, results did not demonstrate any significant differences in each testing index between traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine group (all P>0.05). CONCLUSION Chenxia Sijunzi decoction can promote severe patient's gastrointestinal function recovery and reduce hospitalization days.