Study on Medication Rules of TCM for Treatment of Bacterial Upper Respiratory Tract Infection

WANG Weibin, LI Jinghua, WANG Yinghui, LI Zongyou, TIAN Ye, WANG Junwen, YU Qi

Abstract: Objective To analyze the medication rules of TCM for the treatment of bacterial upper respiratory tract infection by data mining methods; To provide references for clinic. Methods Famous doctors’ experience books, published journal articles, and modern TCM cases shared by national-level TCM studios from January 1, 1949 to December 1, 2016 screened by Ancient and Modern Consilia Cloud Platform V1.4 were set as data resources. Data of medical cases about TCM for the treatment of bacterial upper respiratory tract infection were retrieved and screened. A standardized medical record database was established, and system integration statistical analysis, cluster analysis, complex network and other methods were used to analyze the frequency of drug use, property, core prescription, etc.

Results Totally 1259 medical cases and 1877 times of visits were included, involving 1877 prescriptions, 712 kinds of Chinese materia medica and 18 056 times of frequency. The high-frequency Chinese materia medica were Scutellariae Radix (632 times), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (570 times), Forsythiae Fructus (563 times), Platycodonis Radix (535 times) and Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (523 times), most of which belonged to medicines of bitter, cold and lung meridian. Other prescriptions were modified based on the core prescriptions of Puji Xiaodu Decoction and Yinqiao Powder. Conclusion TCM for the treatment of bacterial upper respiratory tract infection mostly applies the methods of clearing heat, reducing phlegm, inducing mild diaphoresis and relieving exterior syndrome. The medicines are mostly cold, bitter, spicy and belong to lung meridian. While clearing the lung and purging heat, reducing phlegm and dispelling pathogens, it should also give consideration to spleen and stomach, nourish yin and replenish qi in order to support the healthy qi.

Keywords: TCM; bacterial upper respiratory tract infection; Ancient and Modern Consilia Cloud Platform; data mining; medication rules