title: Efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine on sepsis: a systematic review and Meta-Analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for treatment of sepsis in China, but results still remain equivocal. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of TCM for sepsis, we conducted this Meta-analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Databases searched included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (up to December 2014). The studies included used routine therapy treating sepsis in the control group and TCM was added on that basis in the experimental group. Methodological quality was assessed by Cochrane criteria for risk of bias.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten RCTs with 691 participants were identified and analyzed. In the meta-analysis, TCM plus routine therapy reduced the 28-day mortality compared to routine therapy alone, [RR = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.51~0.87; P = 0.002]; The decrease in length of ICU-stay [MD = -1.82; 95% CI: -2.60~-1.04; P<0.00001]; Acute physiology and chronic health evaluation system (APACHE II) score [MD = -2.95; 95% CI: -3.99~-1.91; P<0.00001]; Serum inflammatory factors concentration after treatment [SMD = -0.50; 95% CI:-0.68~-0.33; P<0.00001], including TNF-α [SMD = -0.61; 95% CI: -0.85~-0.38; P<0.00001] and IL-6 [SMD = -0.40; 95% CI: -0.75~-0.04; P = 0.03] in subgroup analysis all had statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Addition of TCM has better effects in participants with sepsis, while more high-quality studies are needed to draw firm conclusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated People's Hospital of Jiangsu University Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical College, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical College China.
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Hebei North University School of Medicine Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Xin-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: Hebei North University School of Medicine Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Cheng-Bao
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University China.
authors.forename: Shang-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changhai Hospital Second Military Medical University Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated People's Hospital of Jiangsu University Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Dong-Hua
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Huai'an First People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University China.
authors.forename: Guo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
keywords: Traditional Chinese medicine; meta-analysis; sepsis