Effect of Seihai-to, a Kampo medicine, in relapsing aspiration pneumonia--an open-label pilot study.
Two published case reports described palliation of disease after Seihai-to therapy for refractory aspiration pneumonia caused by recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis and cerebrovascular disease. We undertook an open-label trial in patients with relapsing aspiration pneumonia. Fifteen patients with relapsing aspiration pneumonia were randomly divided into conventional therapy group (n = 8) or Seihai-to group (n = 7). In Seihai-to group, patients were treated with Seihai-to in addition to conventional therapy (Western medicines). Frequency of feverish days and antibiotics-use, CRP value and chest CT or X-ray findings were compared between the two groups during the study period of 16 weeks. In the Seihai-to group, the latency of swallowing reflex was measured in 6 patients before and after administration of Seihai-to. The mean values of fever index, CRP value and antibiotics-use in the Seihai-to group were decreased significantly, compared with those of the conventional therapy group. However, the latency of the swallowing reflex after 4 weeks of treatment was not significantly changed (p = 0.249), compared with the latency before administration of Seihai-to. No adverse reaction was observed in either group. Seihai-to was effective in reducing relapse of aspiration pneumonia in this small group. Seihai-to might not improve the swallowing reflex, but might instead improve a defense mechanism or excessive inflammation caused by pneumonia in the lower airway. Further evaluation of Seihai-to therapy for patients with aspiration pneumonia in a larger population is warranted.
Mantani
N
N
Department of Japanese Oriental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sugitani, Japan. man427@ms.toyama-mpu.ac.jp
Kasahara
Y
Y
Kamata
T
T
Sekiya
N
N
Shimada
Y
Y
Usuda
K
K
Sakakibara
I
I
Hattori
N
N
Terasawa
K
K
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D020835:Medicine, Kampo; D010166:Palliative Care; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011015:Pneumonia, Aspiration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C059183:qing-fei-tang