title: Characteristics and prescription patterns of traditional Chinese medicine in atopic dermatitis patients: ten-year experiences at a medical center in Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Complementary and alternative therapies in treating atopic dermatitis are not uncommon. However, substantial evidence and consensus on treating atopic dermatitis is lacking. The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics and utilization of traditional Chinese medicine in patients with atopic dermatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively collected patients with atopic dermatitis at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan between 2002 and 2011. Patients' demographic data, duration and frequency of treatment, serum total immunoglobulin E levels, and traditional Chinese medicine treatment principles and prescription were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 4145 patients (8.8%) received traditional Chinese medicine therapy between 2002 and 2011. Among them, 2841 (68.54%) chose TCM only and 1304 (31.46%) chose to combine TCM and WM therapies. Those who chose combination therapy were younger, and needed more times of visit and longer duration of treatment. The most frequent comorbid conditions accompany atopic dermatitis were allergic rhinitis (46.06%) and asthma (21.46%). Among the 87,573 prescriptions written for Chinese medicine, the most frequently prescribed herbal formula and single herb were Xiao-Feng-San (Eliminate Wind Powder) (16.98%) and Bai-Xian-Pi (Cortex Dictamni) (12.68%), respectively. The most commonly used therapeutic principles of herbal formulas and single herbs were releasing exterior (20.23%) and clearing heat (41.93%), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our hospital-based study characterized the utilization patterns of traditional Chinese medicine in atopic dermatitis patients. This information could be used as references for clinical application and provide valuable information for future clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jing-Fan
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Clinical Informatics and Medical Statistics Research Center, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pi-Hua
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tzu-Ping
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Angela Shin-Yu
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lien
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Liang-Shiou
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chin-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Ling
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hen-Hong
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404, Taiwan; Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404, Taiwan; School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan. Electronic address: hungrongyen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hung-Rong
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Yen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal
keywords: Atopic dermatitis; Complementary and alternative medicine; Traditional Chinese Medicine