[Clinical trial on treatment of acute cerebral infarction with TCM treatment according to syndrome differentiation combining Western medicine by staging].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the curative effect of integrated Chinese and Western medicine on acute cerebral infarction (ACI).


METHODS
Two hundred and seventy-nine ACI patients were assigned to two groups. The control group (140 cases) was treated with Western medicine by staging and the treated group (139 cases) was given TCM therapy according to syndrome differentiation on the basis of Western medicine. The end point was set at the 90th day of the administration. The curative effect was assessed by Chinese stroke scale (CSS), National Institutes of health stroke scale score (NIHSS), Rankin scale and Barthel index (BI).


RESULTS
At the end point of the trial, the total effective rate was 73.38% in the treated group and 61.43% in the control group, the former was superior to the latter (P<0.05). There were 66 cases (47.14%) in the control group and 80 cases (57.55%) in the treated group with improvement rate of NIHSS > or =40%, 65 cases (46.43%) with their Rankin scale within 0-2 grade in the control group and 78 cases (56.12%) in the treated group, 60 cases (42.86%) in the control group and 71 cases (51.08%) in the treated group with BI > or =85, 61 cases (43.57%) in the control group and 72 cases (51.80%) in the treated group with improvement rate of CSS > or = 46%, comparison between them showed significant differences (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
TCM therapy accord-ing to syndrome differentiation combined with Western medicine by staging shows better curative efficacy on ACI.
Cai
Ding-Fang
DF
Department of Integrative Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai. dingfangcai@163.com
Yang
Yun-Ke
YK
Gu
Xi-Xi
XX
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D013577:Syndrome; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000925:Anticoagulants; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal