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Alternative Medicine

2: Summary of 10 randomised and controlled clinical trials comparing Chinese herbal medicines with Western medicine for upper respiratory tract infections

 
Study reference
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Design
Patients
A+C
C
A+C
C
C
A+C
A+C
A+C
C
A
Sample size
60
150
280
187
120
387
90
401
107
209
Setting
NR
OP
NR
NR
OP
NR
OP
NS
IP+OP
NR
Patient allocation
RCT
RCT
CCT
RCT
RCT
RCT
RCT
RCT
CCT
RCT
Blinding
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
Days of outcome observed
NR
1-3
7
NR
>1
NR
3-7
1-3
4
NR
Intervention
Experimental group
HT
HP
HP
HT
HI
HP
HP
HP
HT
HP
Control group
AB
AB
AB
AV
AV
AB
AB
AV
AV
AB
Outcome measures
"Cured"/"effect"
+
+
-
+
+
+
-
+
+
+
Fever removed
+
+
*
+
+
+
-
+
*
*
Cough/wheeze relieved
*
+
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Sore throat/tonsillitis relieved
*
+
*
*
*
*
+
*
*
*
Side-effects recorded
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Analysis
Baseline data compared
Outcome compared
t or P value reported
 

A=Adults; AB=Antibiotics; AV=Antiviral agents; C=Children; CCT=Controlled clinical trial; HI=Herbal injection; HP=Herbal patent medicine; HT=Herbal tea; IP=Inpatient; NR=Not reported; OP=Outpatient; RCT=Randomised controlled trial. +=CHMs significantly better than control. -=CHMs not significantly different from control. *=Outcome not reported. =No. =Yes.

©MJA 1998


<URL: http://www.mja.com.au/> © 1998 Medical Journal of Australia.
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