title: Traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of influenza: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To justify the clinical use of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the treatment of influenza.
  
  
  METHODS
  MEDLINE, EMBASE, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledgeln-frastructure Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wanfang Database and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched from the date of inception until January 1, 2013, for the literature on treatment of influenza with TCM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 7 randomized controlled trials were identified and reviewed. Of these trials, 2 compared a (modified) prescription of TCM with oseltacmivir and 5 compared a patent traditional Chinese drug with oseltamivir. Based on the Meta-analysis, compared to oseltamivir, the (modified) prescription had similar effect in defervescence [WMD = 5.66, 95% CI (- 32.02, 43.35), P = 0.77] and viral sheddingWMD = - 6.21, 95% CI (- 84.19, 71.76), P = 0.88], and the patent traditional Chinese drug also had similar effect in viral shedding [WMD = - 0.24, 95% CI (- 4.79, 4.31), P = 0.92] but more effective in defervescence [WMD = - 4.65, 95%CI (- 8.91, - 0.38),P = 0.03].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TCM has potential positive effects in the treatment of influenza.
authors.forename: Chunya
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xinying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Dongping
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yipang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal