ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effect of combined traditional Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). MethodsA total of 180 KOA patients treated between January 2012 and June 2015 were randomly assigned to 3 groups: Chinese medicine group (group A, n=60) with acupuncture and irradiation therapy of specific electromagnetic wave therapeutic apparatus , western medicine group (group B, n=60) with oral glucosamine hydrochloride tablets and knee joint cavity injection of sodium hyaluronate, and integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine group (group C, n=60) with treatments combining those in both group A and B. The treatment course was 6 weeks. The Western Ontario & McMaster University (WOMAC) osteoarthritis index score and total effective rate were evaluated before treatment and 2 weeks after treatment, end of treatment and 5 months after treatment. ResultsAfter treatment, the average improvement of WOMAC scores in the three groups was significantly different (P ＜ 0.05) . The total effective rate was 78.33% in group A, 83.33% in group B, and 91.67% in group C. The difference of total effective rate between group C and A, and between group C and B was statistically significant (P＜0.05) ; and it was also statistically significant between group A and B (P ＜ 0.05) . There were two cases of adverse reactions in group A, two in group B, and two in group C, and the reactions were all relatively mild without any serious adverse events. ConclusionsChinese medicine and western medicine are both effective and safe for the treatment of KOA. When they are combined, the effect is further enhanced with no increase of adverse reactions.
Postoperative gastrointestinal disorder (POGD) is a common complication after surgery under anesthesia. Strategies in combination with traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine have shown some distinct effects but standardized clinical practice guidelines are not available. Thus, a multidisciplinary expert team from various professional bodies including the Perioperative and Anesthesia Professional Committees of the Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine (CAIM), jointly with Gansu Province Clinical Research Center of Integrative Anesthesiology/Anesthesia and Pain Medical Center of Gansu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and WHO Collaborating Center for Guideline Implementation and Knowledge Translation/Chinese Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Center /Gansu Provincial Center for Medical Guideline Industry Technology/Evidence-based Medicine Center of Lanzhou University was established to develop evidence-based guidelines. Clinical questions (7 background and 12 clinical questions) were identified through literature reviews and expert consensus meetings. Based on systematic reviews/meta-analyses, evidence quality was analyzed and the advantages and disadvantages of interventional measures were weighed with input from patients’ preferences. Finally, 20 recommendations were developed through the Delphi-based consensus meetings. These recommendations include disease definitions, etiologies, pathogenesis, syndrome differentiation, diagnosis, and perioperative prevention and treatment.