title: The efficacy of QingfengGanke granule in treating postinfectious cough in pathogenic wind invading lungs syndrome: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postinfectious cough (PIC) significantly affects cough-related quality of life but still lacks effective treatments. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of QingfengGanke granule (QFGKG) in treating PIC induced by pathogenic wind invading lungs syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted. A total of 180 eligible participants were randomly (1:1:1) assigned to group A (QFGKG 6 g plus QFGKG-matched placebo 6 g), group B (QFGKG 12 g), and group C (QFGKG-matched placebo 12 g). All herbal medications were orally administered twice daily for 10 consecutive days. The primary outcome was time to cough resolution, and secondary outcomes included time to cough alleviation, mean changes in cough symptom score (CSS), visual analogue scale (VAS) score, cough-specific quality of life questionnaire (CQLQ) score, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome score from baseline to Day 10, as well as adverse events.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 173 participants were included in the efficacy and safety analyses (group A, n = 57; group B, n = 57; group C, n = 59). The median time to cough resolution in groups A, B, and C was more than 10 days, 8 days, and more than 10 days, respectively (P < 0.0001), and the median time to cough alleviation was 4, 4, and 6 days, respectively (P < 0.0001). Compared with the placebo condition, groups A and B showed significantly greater improvements in CSS (P = 0.0005, P < 0.0001, respectively), VAS (P = 0.0002, P < 0.0001, respectively), CQLQ (P = 0.0258, P = 0.0003, respectively), and TCM syndrome (P = 0.0031, P < 0.0001, respectively). The time to cough resolution was faster in group B compared with group A (P = 0.0091). The adverse event profiles were comparable among the three groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  QingfengGanke granule is efficacious in the treatment of PIC induced by pathogenic wind invading lungs syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Pneumology Group, Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Street, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hongli
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Pneumology Group, Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Street, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Pneumology Group, Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Street, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Pneumology Group, Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Street, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ruiming
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Pneumology Group, Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Street, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: She
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, No. 1 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038 Shaanxi Province People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Faguang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital to Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 33 Beiling Street, Shenyang, 110032 Liaoning Province People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yanling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nanjing First Hospital, No. 68 Changle Road, Nanjing, 210006 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Baotou Central Hospital, No. 61 Huangcheng Road, Baotou, 014025 Inner Mongolia People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qiuping
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu