Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Bronchiectasis Patients

Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Bronchiectasis Patients: A Multi-center, Randomized, Double-blind, Controlled Trial

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) on patients with clinically stable bronchiectasis by a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial: one, TCM treatments based on syndrome differentiation; the other, a placebo of TCM treatment.

Bronchiectasis is a common and frequently occurring respiratory disease, with more hospitalization rate and mortality, poor quality of life and heavy financial burden. The main clinical manifestations are persistent or recurrent cough, expectoration, sometimes accompanied by hemoptysis, which can cause respiratory dysfunction and chronic pulmonary heart disease. There are some randomized controlled trials of TCM for bronchiectasis, and have the effect in the treatment of bronchiectasis, reducing the number of acute aggravation and alleviating dyspnea. However, some TCM interventions lack comprehensive syndrome differentiation and the placebo control.

This is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial to compare the efficacy to evaluate the effectiveness of TCM on patients with clinically stable bronchiectasis. 216 subjects will be randomly assigned to one therapies (TCM treatments based on syndrome differentiation) and the other therapy (placebo of TCM treatment) for 24 weeks. After the treatment period, the subjects will be followed up for 24 weeks. The primary outcomes include the frequency of bronchiectasis exacerbation, and the secondary outcomes include quality of life (SGRQ, LCQ, QOL-B), pulmonary function, safety observation index.

Inclusion Criteria:

• A confirmed diagnosis of clinically stable bronchiectasis
• Age between 18 and 80 years
• Syndrome differentiation meets criteria of syndrome of Qi deficiency of lung and phlegm-turbidity obstructing the lung, syndrome of Qi and Yin deficiency of the lung and the phlegm-heat obstructing the lung
• Without participations in other interventional trials in the previous one month
• With the informed consent signed

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current respiratory disorders other than bronchiectasis (e.g. COPD,bronchial asthma, lung cancer,active tuberculosis, Interstitial lung disease, pulmonary thromboembolic, or Other patients who have an impact on the observation of disease)
• Patients with severe cardiovascular disease (e.g. Acute myocardial infarction,Acute heart failure)
• Severe liver disease(e.g.Active phase of hepatitis, Cirrhosis, Severe impairment of liver function by portal hypertension)
• Severe renal disease(e.g. renal transplant, dialysis)
• Patients with large hemoptysis in the last month
• Pregnant and lactating women
• Insanity, Dementia, and all kinds of Psychosis
• Smoking patients (Years of smoking10/ package year)
• Participating in other clinical trials with other interventions;
• Allergic to the used medicine.